OUTCOMES OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: THE CASE OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Abstract

This article examines the outcomes of international cooperation in preschool education institutions in the People’s Republic of China through an IMRAD-based qualitative case study. The research draws on official Chinese statistical data, UNICEF programme documents, UNESCO reports, and the external evaluation findings of the Child-Friendly Schools initiative in China. The results indicate that preschool enrollment in China increased from 50.9% in 2009 to 75.0% in 2015, 89.7% in 2022, 91.1% in 2023, and 92.0% in 2024. At the same time, the network of inclusive kindergartens also expanded significantly: in 2023, China had 236,000 inclusive kindergartens, accounting for 86.2% of all kindergartens, while the child coverage rate reached 90.8%.

The article argues that international cooperation did not replace state-led reforms, but rather strengthened them through technical assistance, pilot models, curriculum improvement, teacher training, evaluation systems, and inclusive education initiatives. From this perspective, the transfer of Chinese experience into practice, as illustrated by the case of Tashkent Region, is of particular importance. Specifically, in April 2025, at the initiative of the Governor of Tashkent Region, a working group visited Anji, China, to study the Anji Play playground model and the developmental environment created for children in preschool institutions. Based on this experience, Anji Play experimental sites were established at Preschool Education Institution No. 12 in Tashkent district and Preschool Education Institution No. 9 in Chinaz district. Furthermore, beginning in 2025, vocational clubs were introduced in 10 state preschool education institutions in Chirchiq city within the framework of the International Chinese Language Study Tour programme organized by the Suihua International Education Center of Guangzhou Province, China. Through this programme, children were provided with early practical exposure to such fields as art and painting, construction sets, weaving, cooking, hairdressing, medicine, sports, construction, architecture and design, robotics, carpet-making, and pottery.

The findings of the study demonstrate that the most significant outcome of international cooperation lies not merely in external financing, but in transforming tested best practices into national standards and large-scale implementation mechanisms. Both the Chinese experience and its practical application in the case of Tashkent Region confirm that international cooperation in preschool education is most effective when global practices are adapted to national policy priorities and implemented through institutional mechanisms.