The education sector and “Knowledge Day” in Tajikistan

Traditionally, on September 1, the first day of the academic year, all educational institutions in the country celebrate “Knowledge Day”.

Despite the fact that this year September 1 falls on a Sunday, the Ministry of Education announced September 1 as the first day of the academic year in all educational institutions across the country.

Traditionally, every year on September 1, “Knowledge Day”, the country’s president Emomali Rahmon conducts a “Lesson of Peace”. Likely to maintain this tradition, the authorities declared September 1 as the first day of the academic year this year, even though it falls on a Sunday.

The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on Sunday inaugurated educational institution No. 19 in the Sino district of the capital after reconstruction and repairs. During his speech at the school, he called for the development of a law “on raising the status of teachers”. He also expressed concern about the departure of experienced and qualified teachers from the profession and the shortage of personnel in the education sector. Rahmon also urged applicants and students to consider the teaching profession.

On September 1, immediately after Rahmon’s speech on the education of adolescents, the press service of the Interior Ministry for the city of Dushanbe reported that 11 schoolchildren were detained in a state of intoxication in the capital.

According to the police, students from the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades of secondary school No. 56 in the Sino district organized a party on the occasion of “Knowledge and Peace Day” at the “Rohat” restaurant, consumed alcohol, and were detained by police in a state of intoxication.

The capital’s Interior Ministry noted that the parents of the detained students in a state of intoxication were summoned for a discussion along with their children.

During his speech, Emomali Rahmon touched upon the issue of increasing state funding in the education sector. He emphasized that in 2024, 8 billion 231 million somoni were allocated for financing the sector, which “constitutes 5.7 percent of the gross domestic product and 18.9 percent of total state budget expenditures”.

According to him, in 2022, 6 billion 304 million somoni were allocated to the education sector, and in 2023 this figure was increased to 7.2 billion somoni. Emomali claims that annual expenditures on the education sector grow by 10 percent.

Although Emomali Rahmon boasts about the increase in state funding for the education sector, critics argue that teachers’ salaries are among the lowest in the country, and despite the president’s words, the education sector is considered one of the most corrupt in the country, with problems in this sector increasing year by year. Experts believe that the reasons for these problems are the lack of a proper education strategy, corruption and bribery, and low teachers’ salaries.