Education In Tajikistan Research Articles

Towards Understanding Tajikistan’s Sociolinguistically Complex Language Ecology: Historical Development, Current Status, Issues, Research, Policy and Practice

Tajikistan, at the heart of Central Eurasia, had a population of 7,563,687 in 2010, estimated recently to be almost 10,084,935. Named for its majority nationality, Tajikistan has many other nationalities, most with their own language. This article explores what is known about the historical, development and current status of multiple languages in Tajikistan’s linguistic tapestry. We provide a tentative overview of Tajikistan’s evolving language ecology from earliest times when a range of Eastern Iranian languages were dominant, to the reduced use of Eastern Iranian languages following the entry of Arabic and New Persian (a western Iranian language) into the ecology with the Arab conquest, and the subsequent entry of Turkic languages, and more recently the entry of Russian under the late Russian empire and its spread under the Soviet Union. Following independence in 1991, a shift in balance among domains of use of Tajik and Russian has been ongoing at the same time as international languages, especially English, have entered Tajikistan’s language ecology. We review the current state of knowledge about contemporary sociolinguistic dynamics, monolingualism and plurilingualism in society, where the titular language, Tajik/Persian, is in interaction with local, regional and global languages. Against the background of changing post-independence language and language-in-education policies, we discuss the prospects for monolingual, multilingual and plurilingual education in Tajikistan among efforts to promote the official language, Tajik, and to provide minority language education, while also developing proficiency in foreign languages in Tajikistan, through initiatives such as English-medium instruction.

Training and retraining of the library staff in Tajikistan: status and development trends

Libraries are an important social institution, significantly influencing the development of econ­omy, science, education and culture. They play the main role in forming the information infrastructure.The development of librarianship largely depends on the level of material support, the introduction of new technologies, the renewal of collections, as well as on the training of personnel. In many cases, just the problems of education, the level of qualification of the library personnel are decisive for providing population with effective information and library service. The author presents the results of the analysis of the state of library and information education in Tajikistan. The main strategic aspects of the development of higher education in the country are elucidated, as well as the trends in training, advanced training and retraining of library personnel, the problems are indicated and possible ways to solve them are defined.

Investment case for two-year post university speciality training in family medicine in Tajikistan: how much is needed for continuing and scaling up the improved education of family doctors?

BackgroundA new two-year Post University Specialty Training (PUST) programme in family medicine was introduced to improve the quality of postgraduate speciality medical education in Tajikistan. Postgraduate education of family doctors (FDs) needs to be urgently scaled up, as 38% of FD positions in Tajikistan remained unfilled in 2018. Moreover, the international financial support for the PUST programme is ending. This investment case assesses the minimum funding needed for the continuation and scale-up of PUST and establishes the rationale for the investment in the light of a recent evaluation.MethodsThe costs of the programme were calculated for 2018 and a scale-up forecast made for the period 2019–2023. The impact of the scale-up on the shortage of FDs was assessed. An evaluation using a Multiple Choice Questionnaire and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) assessed and compared theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and competencies of PUST trained and conventionally trained FDs.ResultsThe annual costs of the programme were US$ 228,000 in 2018. The total investment needed for scaling up PUST from 31 new FDs in 2018 to 100 FD graduates each year by 2023 was US$ 802,000.However, when the retirement of FDs and population growth are considered, the scale-up will result only in maintaining the current level of FDs working and not solve the country’s FD shortage. The PUST FDs demonstrated significantly better clinical skills than the conventionally trained interns, scoring 60 and 45% of OSCE points, respectively. Theoretical knowledge showed a similar trend; PUST FDs answered 44% and interns 38% of the questions correctly.ConclusionsThe two-year PUST programme has clearly demonstrated it produces better skilled family doctors than the conventional one-year internship, albeit some enduring quality concerns do still prevail. The discontinuation of international support for PUST would be a major setback and risks potentially losing the benefits of the programme for family medicine and also other specialities. To guarantee the supply of adequately trained FDs and address the FD shortage, the PUST should be continued and scaled up. Therefore, it is essential that international support is extended and a gradual transition to sustainable national financing gets underway.

A modern-day early childhood teacher education initiative on Tajikistan’s historic silk road: Dushanbe to the roof of the world

ABSTRACT This article is on early childhood teacher education in Tajikistan. It is contextualized by the collapse of the Soviet Union and Tajikistan’s rebirth in 1992, followed by Tajikistan’s immediate spiral into a five-year civil war. Established as a presidential republic and having existed for fewer than 25 years as war-free, Tajikistan has made recovery efforts toward establishing stability and developing government, military, business, health, and education. One aspect of Tajikistan’s rapid growth efforts is early childhood education, specifically, to provide early childhood programs aligned with alternative early childhood development (ECD) models (i.e., alternative to the teacher-centered Soviet-era kindergarten programs). With limited wealth and lack of a developed infrastructure, Tajikistan’s early education leaders work diligently on alternative models with a variety of funding partners. Building on this foundation, the authors shared collaborative, culturally responsive, early childhood teacher training initiatives in two diverse Tajik cities along the historic silk trade route. Reflections on how the trainings were delivered and received provide teacher educators, particularly in international settings, insights into strategies that build upon the history while sharing current practices.

Disruption and decline: the gendered consequences of civil war and political transition for education in Tajikistan

ABSTRACT The sweeping political transition from the Soviet Union to independence in Tajikistan was accompanied by a devastating civil war. Social, economic, and demographic change followed. This research examines a critical indicator of human welfare and stability at the micro- and macro-levels: educational attainment and mobility. Using the 2007 Tajik Living Standards Survey, I compare cohorts educated before, during, and after the civil war. I examine the impact of the war and the political transition on educational attainment and mobility. The findings suggest that the consequences of civil war and political transition in Tajikistan were gendered: boys’ attainment was disrupted when they lived in a conflict-affected area and were 16-to-17 years old when the war began; girls’ attainment decline was more widespread. This research contributes to our understanding of the long-term consequences of political events on human capital accumulation over the life course.

Financial Inclusion, Regulation, Financial Literacy, and Financial Education in Tajikistan

We analyze financial inclusion, literacy, and education in Tajikistan. We discuss the progress in financial inclusion and the sector’s response to the major external shock associated with the sharp fall in Tajik labor migrants’ remittances. We analyze the policies dealing with different aspects of financial inclusion with a focus on the regulatory framework, penetration of new financial technologies, and the existing barriers to inclusion; and we give recommendations on how to improve financial inclusion and financial literacy in the country.

Migration, Education Investment and Gender in Transition: Evidence from Tajikistan in the 2000s

This paper examines the gender-heterogenous effect of migration on adolescents’ education in Tajikistan. Migrants' remittances potentially encourage education investment. However, the results reveal that migration encouraged education when migration was liberalized, but that it lowered female enrollment and male education expenditure after migration became common. Moreover, migration affects male versus female education through different channels. The absence of migrating household members forces female adolescents’ to do housework instead of attending school whereas the prospect of future migration lowers the incentive for male adolescents. Different kinds of policy intervention for different genders are necessary to eliminate the negative effect of migration.

Emigration, Remittances and the Education of Children Staying Behind: Evidence from Tajikistan

We study the relationship between migration and children's education in Tajikistan – one of the poorest and most remittance-dependent economies in the world. The analysis of a unique three-wave household panel survey reveals that emigration of family members is negatively associated with children's school attendance. Receiving remittances does not offset this negative effect. Migration of non-parent family members (such as siblings) is particularly detrimental to school attendance, especially among older children and children from less educated households. This supports a conjecture that emigration in Tajikistan has a negative signaling effect on the education of children staying behind.

Introducing Extension/Outreach Education in Tajikistan

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Khujand branch of the Technological University of Tajikistan (KbTUT) collaborated on the development of an Extension/outreach program in Tajikistan. Fifteen KbTUT administrators, faculty, and students from textiles, food science, and management engaged in training sessions at UNL on entrepreneurship, adult education techniques, and up-to-date teaching methods. Extension philosophy was integrated into each individualized learning plan. Through the newly established KbTUT Entrepreneur Center and Textile Museum, UNL faculty introduced and illustrated a community outreach model. KbTUT faculty taught Extension/outreach workshops and used their new knowledge to revise or develop new university courses with up-to-date teaching methods.

Staying in school: assessing the role of access, availability, and economic opportunities – the case of Tajikistan

AbstractAt independence in 1991, Tajikistan enjoyed almost universal literacy, reflecting the legacy of social development achieved during the Soviet period. However, since then the country has undergone immense economic, political and social upheaval, including civil war. As a consequence, the gains of the past are quickly being eroded. Recent evidence suggests that school attendance rates are declining, the gender gap is widening, and there is increasing geographical variation. This paper uses a unique source of data to investigate the relative roles of individual, household, and contextual factors to determine whether or not a child attends basic education in Tajikistan. Applying multilevel modelling and geographical information system techniques, the results show that contextual factors have a strong effect on school attendance. In particular, the accessibility and availability of school services and the quality of education have a positive effect. However, the level of economic development of the community in which the child lives exerts a negative effect on school attendance, reflecting the influence of higher opportunity costs of education in terms of the opportunities for income‐generating activities forgone. This has implications for educational policy, highlighting that a joined‐up approach is necessary to foster local economic development and to lower school dropout rates. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Astronomical education in Tajikistan. Project TAJASTRO

AbstractThe centre of astronomy in Tajikistan is the Institute of Astrophysics of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. This institute carries out scientific research and contributes to the preparation of the astronomical staff and to astronomical education. The reform of education in Tajikistan continues and now astronomy is studied in schools (together with physics) and at universities. The Tajik State Pedagogical University resumed in 2007 the training of teachers in physics and astronomy. Since 1999 the Tajik National University (TNU) offers a a specialty in astronomy. In 2006 is restored the Small Academy of Sciences (SAS) of Tajikistan. There is a planetarium in Khujand and in 2006 the Institute of Astrophysics, TNU and the Astronomical Society of Tajikistan, along with the support IBSP/UNESCO, organised the Training Methodical Center (TMC) “TAJASTRO” at the Hisar astronomical observatory for students, graduate students, young scientists, and teachers at secondary schools.

Astronomical Research and Education in Tajikistan

AbstractAstronomical researches in Tajikistan are carried out by the Institute of Astrophysics, Tajik Academy of Sciences. The main scientific fields of investigation are physics and dynamics of asteroids, comets and meteors, variable stars and observations of artificial Earth satellites. The Institute has three observational stations: the Gissar observatory (at an altitude 730 m above sea-level) with photographic fireball and meteor patrols, a 70-cm reflector, a 40-cm Zeiss astrograph, a high-precision astronomical telescope (D=1 m, F=0.75 m), etc.; the Sanglokh observatory (at an altitude 2300 m above sea-level) with a Ritchey-Chretien 1-m telescope and 0.6-m reflector by Carl Zeiss; the Pamir observatory (at an altitude 4350 m above sea-level) with a 70-cm reflector. In 1999 the Department of Astronomy was restored in the Tajik State National University and the first students were admitted to this university for the astronomical profession.