Many vulnerable children in Tajikistan will be deprived of government’s support as Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament has endorsed amendments proposed by the government to the country’s law on protection of child’s rights. In this way, the authorities try to return children to families or to save budgetary funds.
These amendments, in particular, determine which orphans have the right to free education and public housing.
Of a total number of orphans living in Tajikistan, 2,162 are children who have lost both parents and 476 others are children left without guardians.
It is this category of orphans, totaling 2,638 children, who have the right to free public housing and education.
Besides, they will have the right to use public transport in cities and suburbs of Tajikistan free of charge.
Meanwhile, children in one-parent families will not have such rights.
Since September this year, boarding schools’ doors have been closed for hundreds of children from vulnerable families, children of migrants and convicts.
The majority of children of this category have been sent to homes and redistributed to ordinary secondary schools.
Experts consider that children of this category should live in families but they need government’s support.
According to official statistical data, 42,304 vulnerable children now attend secondary schools; 1,713 of them are children who have lost both parents, 415 are children left without guardians, 30,530 are children without fathers, and 9,646 children without mothers.
1,962 vulnerable children are brought in boarding schools; 154 of them are children who have lost both parents, 21 are children left without guardians, 1,426 are children without fathers, and 361 are children without mothers.
1,821 vulnerable children are brought up in preschool institutions; 295 are children who have lost both parents, 40 are children left without guardians, 1,259 are children without fathers, and 227 are children without mothers.
