Preschool education in Uzbekistan is the first social space in the lives of children. Here they learn to interact with others, to obey rules, and to respect. However, recent years have seen social media exposing events happening in kindergartens, suggesting that these institutions have become not only places of education but also sources of threat.
The loudest outcry was heard on June 30, 2024, in a state kindergarten No. 7 in the Chilanzar district of Tashkent City. A five-year-old child fell from a second-floor window due to lack of supervision. The child was hospitalized with both wrists, nasal bones, and upper jaw broken. Although officials reported that the child’s condition has improved, it cannot hide the negligence that plagues the sector.
These events are not isolated. Just a day before, on June 29, it was revealed that a three-year-old child was beaten in one of Tashkent's private kindergartens. The abusive behavior of the caregiver was caught on video, but instead of providing the video to the parents, the administration only reprimanded the caregiver. It was only after the intervention of the Children's Ombudsman that the issue was formally addressed. After much pressure and attention, disciplinary action was taken against the caregiver. Is this enough?
A system not watched, but neglected
The incidents indicate not just isolated shortcomings, but deep-rooted problems within the system itself. These include lack of supervision, the low level of psychological and pedagogical preparation of educators, neglect towards safety, and, worst of all, a lack of accountability.
The tragic death of a 2-year-old girl in Kashkadarya serves as a bitter example. She was left unsupervised in the yard of a private kindergarten in the Qamashi district and fell into an irrigation ditch around the kindergarten and died. Her mother says she had warned about the open ditch beforehand, but no safety measures were taken, and the kindergarten resumed its operation just three days after the tragedy. Does this not show that the system fails to value human life?
A similar incident occurred on February 15, 2024, in Jizzakh region: three children left the kindergarten unsupervised; one of them, a 3-year-old girl, was later found drowned. A criminal case was opened against the director, educator, and head of Sanitary-Epidemiological Service. But this does not bring the child back.
The camera watches, but it cannot wipe away a child’s tears
Videos frequently appearing on social media – pulling a child by the arm, insulting, pushing a crying child to the ground – are captured by camera, which only records the situation without preventing it. Cameras cannot heal the emotional scars left on a child.
If control is limited to cameras, it means the system prioritizes an artificial eye over a human approach. It watches through lenses on the ceiling, not with the heart of a caretaker. This is a dangerous approach.
An uncaring system, helpless parents
Many parents still face the problem of “finding a place” in kindergartens. In certain cases, without contacts or paying money, it’s difficult to secure a spot for the child. “The best” groups are selected, and informal payments are required to enter them. The roots of corruption in the system run deep.
Educators in such institutions often face low wages, too many children, and severe stress. The majority lack sufficient psychological preparation. There’s a lack of an environment where it’s understood that a caregiver’s action can impact a child for a lifetime.
It’s as if the state system has forgotten its orphaned child
In recent years, reforms in school and higher education are often noticeable. However, preschool education remains in the shadows of these reforms. Yet, it is in kindergarten where a child takes the first steps towards living in a community, expressing themselves, and defending their rights. If this environment is filled with violence, negligence, and fear – what can we expect from future generations?
The law exists, but what about accountability?
The incident in Jizzakh – punitive measures against the kindergarten director and educator being a rare example. The director and educator received up to four years of restricted freedom. The head of Sanitary-Epidemiological Service was also found guilty. However, in dozens of other cases – no court, no dismissal. Most often, it ends with just a “reprimand.” Children are beaten, die, but the institutions continue to operate.
Solutions: there are, but willpower is needed
Analyzing the ongoing problems, the following systematic measures are necessary:
1. Every preschool institution must have a psychologist working on a permanent basis.
2. Educators should be hired based on certification, with their psychological and pedagogical preparation regularly assessed.
3. In addition to surveillance cameras, independent public oversight should be established.
4. The safety infrastructure around kindergartens (ditches, railways, open yards) must be fully reviewed and addressed.
5. Initiatives against corruption, online registrations, and a platform for handling parents’ complaints must be introduced.
In place of a final word, each child subjected to violence, humiliation, or death from negligence in kindergartens is a sign that society has failed the test of honesty, conscience, and care. This article is not just a collection of facts – it is the scream from a child’s heart. Silent, yet very loud.
This outcry requires not just a camera, not just protocol, but a human heart, responsibility, and love to hear it.
