30 teachers from different regions of the Russian Federation arrived in Tajikistan a month ago to work with Russian-language schools here. Recently, they have met with Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Igor Lyakin Frolov to share their impressions of work in Tajikistan. Journalists have also attended that meeting.
Ambassador Lyakin-Frolov briefed them on bilateral cooperation between the Russian and Federation and Tajikistan in different fields.
For their part, the teachers told the ambassador about problems they have faced in Tajikistan.
“Please, explain us where textbooks that Russia has sent to Tajikistan? Why schools with which we work have not received them?” asked one of teachers.
“You know that Russian-language schools in Tajikistan do not have enough textbooks. The majority of textbooks used by teachers were published in the Soviet era or in the early 1990s. It comes to the ridiculous, we should share the modern Russian experience, while we should use Soviet textbooks,” the teacher said.
Besides, the teachers noted that sometimes, the Russian language textbooks intended for Russian-language schools are used for teaching the Russian language in Tajik-language classes. “Completely different textbooks are needed for them,” they said.
Chemistry teachers, for their part, have noted that labs in the majority of Tajik schools are provided with obsolete equipment.
According to them, local schools have hoped that Russian teachers will bring all necessary equipment with them.
Mr. Asomiddin Boboyev, an official with the Dushanbe education department, has confirmed that the Russian-language schools in Dushanbe are experiencing an acute shortage of textbooks. “As far as the problem of providing schools’ labs with equipment is concerned, it is in competence of schools themselves,” Boboyev noted.
“There is per capita financing of education in Tajikistan’s schools and the budget of schools depends on a number of students. 809 somoni are allocated per each student annually. “We allocate these funds to schools and the school managements spent them for school needs,” the education official added.
Recall, Russia has sent 30 teachers to secondary schools in Tajikistan. Teachers from the Russian regions of Kostroma, Kemerovo, Bashkortostan, Daghestan, and Tatarstan have arrived in Tajikistan to teach subjects such as mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, Russian, and others at secondary schools where teaching is conducted in Russian.
The government-sponsored Russian World foundation, which promotes the Russian language and culture abroad, noted in August that Russia will also provide Tajikistan with 20 tons of textbooks on various subjects by September 1.
The education sector in Tajikistan has been in decline after collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
