Tajikistan will begin making shift to a 12-year education system in 2020, the Minister of Education and Science, Nouriddin Said, told reporters in Dushanbe on July 10. This process will take several years
He noted that the new concept provided for three levels of full secondary education – primary education, basic secondary and profile secondary education. Children will go to school after six years of age.
Tajikistan has been making preparations for shifting to the 12-year education system during several years.
Said noted that 300 Russian teachers would be invited to work with schools in Tajikistan. “This issue was discussed recently here at a meeting with representatives of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science,” the minister said.
He also noted that five Russian-language schools will be built in Tajikistan in the near future under support of Russia – they will be built in Kulob, Qurghon Teppa, Khujand, Dushanbe and Tursunzoda. “Negotiations on this issue are under way,” the minister added.
The 12-year secondary education system is expected to give school students an opportunity to prepare themselves properly for entering higher educational institutions.
Introduction of the 12-year education system will also allow Tajikistan to join the Bologna Process (or Bologna Accords) and expand opportunities for Tajik students to get higher education in any of European countries.
Recall, Tajikistan was supposed to introduce the 12-year education system in 2016 but because of financial and economic crisis as well as insufficient number of schools in the country the Ministry of education and Science asked to postpone transition to the 12-year education system.
Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament endorsed the bill requiring amendments to the country’s education legislation on April 28, 2010. The amendments, in particular, provided for introducing the 12-year secondary education in Tajikistan in 2016.
The 12-year education model reportedly focuses on improving access to quality education, training of highly qualified personnel, enhancing the education management and many other measures aimed at modernizing Tajikistan's education system.
