Published
07/21/2026, 16:35Over the past few years, small home‑based kindergartens have emerged in Kyrgyzstan as a new form of private business. They are being opened not only in cities but also in villages, where previously there might not have been any preschool institutions at all.
One of the mechanisms designed to increase the number of such institutions has been the preschool education accelerator programme. It was introduced following a Cabinet of Ministers resolution in 2023 and provides a simplified procedure for opening private kindergartens.
According to the Preschool Education Department, there are currently 271 home‑based kindergartens operating in the country, providing preschool education to more than 6,000 children. At the same time, the sector has created over 800 jobs for teachers and teaching assistants.
The model is primarily designed for small institutions. An individual entrepreneur can open a kindergarten with up to 25 children, while a legal entity in the form of an LLC may establish a larger facility.
The objective is to expand coverage
The growing interest in private preschool institutions is driven by the continuing demand at the local level. According to the department, currently about 51% of children aged 3 to 5 are covered by all forms of preschool education. By 2030, the target is to raise this figure to 80%.
At the same time, the construction of new public kindergartens requires considerable time and resources. Therefore, one of the solutions is to encourage private initiatives, where entrepreneurs establish small groups within existing premises.
The automated system "Balalyk" is used to register such institutions. Through it, entrepreneurs can formalize their activities, enroll children, and undergo compliance checks for sanitary and fire safety requirements.
In addition, free training is available for preschool education staff through the "Bilim Duyno" platform. According to the Ministry of Education, about 2,500 participants are currently registered, and more than 1,500 people have received certificates.
She wanted to build a house, but the residents asked for a kindergarten instead
The story of Aizada Popenova illustrates how the lack of social infrastructure in small settlements can become a starting point for creating new opportunities for children and parents.
Initially, she and her husband considered other plans — building a house or engaging in livestock farming. However, the villagers approached the family with a request to open a kindergarten, since there was not a single preschool institution in the settlement.
“We thought, maybe we would build a house, maybe we would go into livestock farming. But the local residents asked us to open a kindergarten, because there was not a single preschool in our village,” — says Aizada Popenova.
After that, she prepared a business project and took advantage of concessional lending to open a preschool institution. The family also invested part of the funds themselves.
In March 2026, a kindergarten was opened in the village. Today, about 50 children attend it. Later, the project expanded — the institution now operates two branches: one in the rural area where the idea of the kindergarten first emerged, and another in the city.
According to Aizada Popenova, the main reason for opening the first branch was the residents’ need for accessible preschool education. Over time, however, parents began to focus not only on the availability of places but also on the quality of children’s preparation.
By the way, the couple also has another branch of the kindergarten in the capital.
