The key facts
- AUGA: inclusion in the privatization list does not mean immediate auctions; decisions can be revised in agreement with the Presidential Administration
- Kindergarten No. 58 in Yakkasaray district (0.56 ha, 120 seats) will be sold after children are moved to a new 720-seat kindergarten — with the condition of building a private kindergarten
- According to the khokimiyat's data, preschool enrollment coverage declined from 2023 to 2026 in 11 of 12 Tashkent districts; the capital's kindergarten seat shortage is 65,000
AUGA's comment on the privatization of operating kindergartens
The Agency for State Asset Management (AUGA) of Uzbekistan commented on the inclusion of operating kindergartens in the lists of assets subject to privatization. Agency head Sohibjon Murodov made the statement at a press conference on October 8, answering journalists' questions. A media representative drew attention to public discussion of plans to sell about ten operating kindergartens in Yakkasaray district of Tashkent and Kashkadarya region, noting that the agency had previously spoken mainly about selling vacant and unused buildings.
Kindergarten No. 58 in Yakkasaray district
According to Murodov, the privatization program includes the building of kindergarten No. 58 on an area of 0.56 ha, designed for 120 children. 'If you look at the photographs we posted on our website, you will see that this kindergarten is operating. But the building is very old, it doesn't even have a foundation,' the AUGA head said. In the same mahalla, a new 720-seat kindergarten is being built with budget funds, to which the children are planned to be transferred. The decision to sell has been made, but auctions have not yet begun: the old facility is planned to be put up for sale with the condition of building a private kindergarten on its site.
Possibility of revising decisions
Murodov emphasized that inclusion of real estate in the privatization list does not mean its immediate auction: before sale, each facility must undergo additional review. According to him, in some cases public doubts about the expediency of privatization turn out to be justified. 'If these doubts are confirmed, we have the opportunity to revise the decision. The note to the list states that, in agreement with the Presidential Administration, the Agency for State Asset Management may exclude facilities from the list or make changes to it,' he noted.
The situation in Kashkadarya region
The kindergarten building in Kashkadarya region, according to AUGA, is on the balance sheet of a large state-owned oil and gas enterprise, for which maintaining a preschool institution is not a core activity. At the same time, the kindergarten is already being operated by a private entrepreneur under a lease. 'This is not a state kindergarten. It is already operating in the private sector under lease,' Murodov explained, adding that a state kindergarten also operates in the area. The agency intends to offer the facility to private investors with the mandatory preservation of its purpose: using it otherwise will not be allowed.
The role of the private sector in preschool education
According to data cited by Murodov, about ten years ago preschool enrollment coverage in Uzbekistan averaged 27–28%, and in some districts was even lower. It has now reached 68%, and the authorities plan to raise it to 70%. 'Not all kindergartens were built with budget funds. A significant portion of them are private kindergartens or institutions created on the basis of public-private partnership,' the AUGA head said. In his opinion, in some cases private preschool institutions provide higher-quality upbringing. The state intends to continue creating conditions for entrepreneurs' participation: some land plots are put up for auction with the obligation to build a private school or kindergarten.
Seat shortage in Tashkent
According to khokimiyat data examined by Gazeta, from 2023 to 2026 preschool enrollment coverage declined in 11 of 12 Tashkent districts. The most noticeable reductions are in Sergeli district (from 125.3% to 75.1%), Yakkasaray (from 124% to 96.8%) and Bektemir (from 115% to 74.8%). The capital's khokim Shavkat Umurzakov told Gazeta in an interview that coverage of at least 90% is optimal, ideally 100%. According to planned targets for 2026, only Yakkasaray (96.8%) and Mirzo-Ulugbek (92.1%) districts exceed the 90% threshold; the lowest coverage is expected in Shaykhantahur (57.9%), Yangihayot (68.1%) and Yunusabad (70.5%). The dynamics are uneven: in Yashnabad district coverage grew from 48.5% in 2023 to 74.1% in 2026, while in Yakkasaray, despite the decline, it remains above the 2018 level (91.4%). Umurzakov said he opposes transferring territories of state schools and kindergartens to PPP projects, including the construction of private educational institutions there. According to data presented to the president on October 14, the shortage of student seats in Tashkent is 141,000 and may grow to 212,000 by 2030; the authorities plan to create 126,000 additional seats. The president was presented projects for 24 new schools with 38,000 seats and 28 kindergartens with 16,000 seats, featuring solutions for inclusive education, child safety and energy saving. The capital's kindergartens currently lack 65,000 seats; by 2030 the authorities intend to create another 40,000 and increase preschool enrollment coverage from 79.2% to 92%.
