QURGHON TEPPA, September 4, Asia-Plus  -- The Khatlon education department has announced the new academic year a year of campaign against illiteracy in the province.  

Hasan Murodiyon, the head of the Khatlon education department, has told Asia-Plus that more than 66,500 first-formers went school in the Khatlon province this year, which is 2,500 pupils more than last year.  

“Of more than 25,000 leavers of this year, only 30 percent entered various higher educational institutions,” said Mr. Murodiyon, “43 leavers have entered higher educational institutions in foreign countries, including 32 leavers entering higher educational institutions in Kazakhstan, 5 – in the Russian Federation, 4 – in China and 2 – in Iran.”  

In the meantime, the Khatlon governor Amirsho Miraliyev addressing schools in the province on occasion of a Day of Knowledge noted, “Although 17 new schools have been built in the region this year, and more than 300 educational facilities have been put into operation over the past 16 years, a level of knowledge of schoolchildren is not satisfactory.”  

Miraliyev also noted that Khatlon had more than 4,000 teachers’ vacancies.  “To attract young teachers to work with schools in Khatlon we have to create all necessary conditions, including allotment of land for construction of residential buildings for them,” the Khatlon governor stressed.  

He also noted that some schools in the province were in a very poor state and in some settlements, schoolchildren were studying in private houses or in wooden vans.  “We will try to tackle this problem soon,” said Miraliyev, “Local entrepreneurs offer us assistance in resolving this problem.  For example, an entrepreneur from the Temurmalik district has provided has built a house for 40,000 Somonis and donated to it children of primary classes.” 

Amirsho Miraliyev promised to donate 21 computers to 12 schools in Khatlon.  At present 1,282 schools operate in the Khatlon province.