DUSHANBE, March 27 -- Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren in Tajikistan will not hear the symbolic last bell marking school graduation any longer. 

According to the ministry of education (MoE), Tajik Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov on March 24 signed a resolution prohibiting holding the last bell events at schools throughout Tajikistan.  

The First Deputy Education Minister, Farhod Rahimov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that no pompous events on the occasion of the school graduation causing significant expenses will be held in the country any longer.  “Just ceremonial meetings will be held at schools,” the deputy minister said.  

“There is no sense in the symbolic last bells at schools because it not the last bell in life of person,” said Rahimov, “School-leaver may enter higher educational institutions and hear it [bell] during another five years.”    

According to him, these measures are taken to prevent collection of money from parents.   

In the meantime, the minister today is visiting schools in Dushanbe to explain the taken measures.