35
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
hot meals to schoolchildren,25 first in primary schools, and subsequently, to the extent possible, in basic education. In this way, it is possible to decrease the problem of malnutrition among the children to some extent. This requires substantial support from specialized United Nations agencies, whose activities are directly aimed at improving education, reducing poverty and child malnutrition. Figure 16 shows the provision of hot meals to children according to TLSS-2007. Figure 16. Percentage of children who attended primary grades 1,2 and received hot meals in school during the last academic year 54.10%
24.80%
31.00% 28.50% 26.60%
4
3
2
Poorest
13.70%
Non poors
RRS
Khatlon
Sugd
Dushanbe
Rural
10.30%
GBAO
17.20%
36.40%
22.00%
Rich
32.50%
28.50%
Poors
33.20%
Urban
60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Per capita financing of education Public expenditure per student varies from region to region. In the regional context, GBAO has the largest expenditure and Khatlon Region has the lowest. Throughout the country, spending per student amounts to TJS 180, which is 2.3 times less than the highest rate in GBAO. But this interpretation of the data should take into account that in Badakhshan, high education costs are primarily related to the dispersed population. For this indicator, there are also significant regional variations in cities and districts of the country. The largest flow of funds is for Roshtqala District, GBAO (TJS 615) and the smallest, in the Rasht District, RRS (TJS 67). Comparatively high schooling costs per student in GBAO are explained by its lower percentage of school age children compared to other regions of Tajikistan and much smaller class size than the established norm.26 The latter figure is questionable, however. It should be noted that the share of extra budgetary funds is 0.6% in GBAO and 2.1%, in Soghd (while in other regions, schooling costs are covered by the state budget (Figures 17 and 18).
25
It should be noted that according to NSC of the 2008/2009 school year, hot meals (not free of charge) were provided to 40–50% of pupils in the country. The percentage varies by region, with the highest percentage in Dushanbe and the lowest in GBAO and RRS. For more details, see NSC 2008/2009.
26
The region in comparison with other regions has a low birth rate; hence, there are low natural population growth rates. The low number of children at schools of this region affected by net emigration of population from this region to other regions of the country.