Education in Tajikistan
Encyclopedia
Education in Tajikistan
consists of four years of primary school followed by two stages of secondary school
(lasting five and two years, respectively). Attendance at school is mandatory from age seven to seventeen. Tajik
is the main language of instruction through secondary school, but in 2003 Russian
was restored as a mandatory second language.
has reduced the skill level of younger people. Although education is compulsory, many children fail to attend because of economic needs and security concerns in some regions. In 2001, pre-primary
enrollment was less than 6% of eligible children.
In 2005 the total government expenditure on education was about US$80 million, or 15.9% of the national budget. The figure was scheduled to rise to US$108 million (17.3% of the budget) in 2006. A presidential program raised the salaries of teachers by 25% in 2005.
Some private schools and colleges have appeared in urban centers, and Russian and Uzbek schools exist. 33 institutions of higher learning were operating in 2003 when a constitutional amendment, however, abolished free higher education. That year, total enrollment was 96,600.
at all levels, which will increase because of the relatively high birthrate. The state-supported Soviet system remains in place, but the poor condition of the national economy and years of civil war sharply reduced funding in the early 2000s; government spending, however, began to increase in 2004.
During a round table
entitled “Education in the Period of Independence” held December 2, 2010 in Dushanbe
, the minister of education decreed that a 12-year educational system will be implemented in three phases. The first phase began during the 2010-2011 academic year, and the transition to a 12-year system is expected to be complete by 2016.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
consists of four years of primary school followed by two stages of secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
(lasting five and two years, respectively). Attendance at school is mandatory from age seven to seventeen. Tajik
Tajik language
Tajik, Tajik Persian, or Tajiki, is a variety of modern Persian spoken in Central Asia. Historically Tajiks called their language zabani farsī , meaning Persian language in English; the term zabani tajikī, or Tajik language, was introduced in the 20th century by the Soviets...
is the main language of instruction through secondary school, but in 2003 Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
was restored as a mandatory second language.
Overview
While the official literacy rate in Tajikistan is 98%, the poor quality of education since 1991Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
has reduced the skill level of younger people. Although education is compulsory, many children fail to attend because of economic needs and security concerns in some regions. In 2001, pre-primary
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
enrollment was less than 6% of eligible children.
In 2005 the total government expenditure on education was about US$80 million, or 15.9% of the national budget. The figure was scheduled to rise to US$108 million (17.3% of the budget) in 2006. A presidential program raised the salaries of teachers by 25% in 2005.
Some private schools and colleges have appeared in urban centers, and Russian and Uzbek schools exist. 33 institutions of higher learning were operating in 2003 when a constitutional amendment, however, abolished free higher education. That year, total enrollment was 96,600.
Challenges, issues and concerns
Tajikistan’s educational system suffers from a depleted infrastructure and an acute shortage of teachersTeachers
Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
at all levels, which will increase because of the relatively high birthrate. The state-supported Soviet system remains in place, but the poor condition of the national economy and years of civil war sharply reduced funding in the early 2000s; government spending, however, began to increase in 2004.
During a round table
Round table (discussion)
Round table is a form of academic discussion. Participants agree on a specific topic to discuss and debate. Each person is given equal right to participate, because of the circular layout usually used in round table discussions....
entitled “Education in the Period of Independence” held December 2, 2010 in Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, the minister of education decreed that a 12-year educational system will be implemented in three phases. The first phase began during the 2010-2011 academic year, and the transition to a 12-year system is expected to be complete by 2016.