24
Millennium Development Goals Achievement Progress Report: Tajikistan
Condition of education system in Tajikistan The achievements of the above target by 2015 seem to be doubtless, provided there will be appropriate measures taken towards this direction. On the coverage ratio the set target is already achieved, however on the primary school attendance ratio minor delays are observed. The literacy ratio among population at the age 15-24 reaches about 99% for the men and about 1% less for women. Overall there is no monitoring on the 2nd indicator, since the data on this indicator are missing in all courses of information (State Statistical Agency on education, EMIS, NCS, TLSS – 2007, MICS etc). Though the monitoring of this indicator seems to be possible in the framework NCS (even for the previous years), which ultimately will let understand what ratio of primary education enrollment with each age groups achieves the last level of this educational stage. Collection of data on this indicator is considered important since it will let track the tendency. Quality and status of the education system heavily depends on the financial capacity and the prioritization of the sector by the Government. The state budget expenditure over the last nine years for education in absolute terms has increased 26 times (from TJS 42 million in 2000 to TJS 1.070 billion in 2009). In 2009, from all sources of financing, the construction and reconstruction of 218 schools were completed, with 40,000 new teaching places commissions for students.7 The financial crisis has inevitably affected the education system; in 2009, the education budget was reduced by TJS31 million TJS. The decrease is mainly accounted for by the universities.8 According to the NCS, in the 2008/2009 school year, the total number of all types of schools (primary, basic secondary, gymnasiums and lyceums) in Tajikistan was 3,817, in which around 1.7 million pupils were enrolled. More than 92% of school-age children are enrolled in general, primary and secondary vocational education. The graduation ratio (the ratio of successfully completed school under the curriculum for the appropriate age on completing the curriculum) is also sharply reduced by levels; in primary school, it is close to 100%, in basic school already at 83%, and in complete secondary education, it falls to 48%.9 Dropout ratio by level of education, sex and regions of Tajikistan clearly shows the level of education where the number of students is most reduced. In primary education in the regional context, a school drop-out ratio was only observed in Dushanbe (which was 1%) and of girls. A high drop-out ratio in basic education was in RRS (overall 4%, but 8% for girls). With respect to complete secondary education, the drop-out ratio varies from region to region, with the highest in the GBAO and Soghd regions (13 and 12%, respectively). The high drop-out ratio from this level of education in these two relatively problem-free regions compared with Khatlon and RRS can be explained by a lower drop-out in basic education. It should be noted that these phenomena are more frequently observed in rural than in urban areas.10 In rural areas, irregular power supply is one of the causes of lower educational level of rural residents, since electricity cuts limit access to computers, Internet and other modern education and information technologies. Low salaries in the education sector are a major cause of the shortage of teachers in secondary schools, which affects the quality of education. Ensuring national energy security will significantly improve the situation in education sector.
7
E. Rakhmon. Tajikistan President's annual address to Parliament, a Joint Meeting of the Upper (Majilisi Milli) and lower (Majilisi of Namoyandagon) Chambers of the Fourth Convocation. 24 April 2010.
8
Data of the Ministry of Education of Tajikistan.
9
Mark Agranovich. Analysis of the results of National School Census and data of the Educational Management Information System , draft version of the report, March 2010.
10
NSC – 2008/2009.