DUSHANBE, February 7, 2015, Asia-Plus — A new World Bank report,
The Skills Road: Skills for Employability in Tajikistan
, notes that getting children off to the right start requires adequate early childhood development programs (ECD) with an emphasis on nutrition, stimulation, and basic cognitive skills. The formation of cognitive and non-cognitive foundations critically occurs during early childhood. This stage marks the first step in skills building, and high-quality ECD programs have been shown to be critical in developing the technical, cognitive, and behavioral skills conducive to high productivity and flexibility in the work environment. Handicaps developed early in life are difficult if not impossible to remedy later. Furthermore, the benefits of ECD generally by far outweigh the program costs.
In Tajikistan, malnutrition rates are high and enrollment in early childhood development (ECD) programs is exceptionally low, according to the report.
Approximately 15 percent of all children under the age of five reportedly suffer from malnutrition and moderate and severe stunting is prevalent, affecting 39 percent of all children under the age of five. Less than one percent of all children under the age of 3 and approximately 6 percent of all children aged 3–5 years in Tajikistan are currently enrolled in preschool primarily due to a lack of preschool facilities in Tajikistan, especially in rural areas.
This is far below the enrollment levels in comparator countries in Central Asia and globally, the report says.
Hence, to ensure that future cohorts of labor market entrants have strong cognitive and noncognitive skills foundations, policy makers should continue prioritizing the expansion of the coverage and improve the quality of ECD programs in Tajikistan. More resources could be directed toward investments and interventions in skill formation during critical development periods in a person’s life, when cognitive and non-cognitive skills are most malleable. Since skills development is a cumulative process, and given low current levels of ECD enrollment in Tajikistan, increased access to quality ECD programs could have a considerable impact on cognitive and noncognitive, as well as technical, skill development of the future workforce. Increasing access to ECD within Tajikistan could also assist in ensuring that young children’s nutrition needs are met and that developmental skills are nurtured. The government has already started investing in an expansion of preschool education with support from Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and other donor-funded projects, and should continue investing in this cost-effective activity.
The report also notes that while enrollment in general education and higher education is strong, the education system in Tajikistan is not developing market-valued skills to full potential.
