All teachers in general education schools will receive a deferment from military service. According to media reports, the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Khomid Khoshimzoda, stated that the authorities of Tajikistan have made changes to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service.” Now, teachers in general education schools will be completely exempt […]
All teachers in general education schools will receive a deferment from military service.
According to media reports, the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Khomid Khoshimzoda, stated that the authorities of Tajikistan have made changes to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service.”
Now, teachers in general education schools will be completely exempt from mandatory military service during their professional activity.
Khoshimzoda claims that the new law aims to elevate the status of educators and address the shortage of teachers in schools.
For the law to take effect, the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli (lower house of parliament) must approve the changes, which have been confirmed by the Majlisi Milli (upper house of parliament), signed by the president, and published in the official press.
According to current legislation, only teachers with higher pedagogical education working in rural schools were exempt from mandatory military service. Now, after these amendments come into force, all educators will receive a deferment during their professional activity regardless of their place of work.
Previously, the Ministry of Education and Science reported that the shortage of teachers remains one of the acute problems in the education sector. Minister of Education Rahim Saidzoda previously stated that by the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, Tajikistan’s schools were lacking more than 3,800 educators, despite around 13,000 students graduating from pedagogical universities this year.
Despite the existing legislation and the shortage of teachers in schools, educators are still forcibly drafted into military service as part of a campaign known in the public as “oblava,” even from the most remote villages of the country.
Recently, media reported on an “oblava” involving an informatics and mathematics teacher from School No. 75 in the Dangara District, Ekhsan Akhmadzoda. His relatives reported that on October 20, Ekhsan was detained by military enlistment office staff right at school and taken to the enlistment office, and from there – to military service.
It remains unknown whether the amendments to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service” will be approved and to what extent they will truly be able to put an end to the practice of “oblava” and the forced conscription of teachers.