DUSHANBE, April 19, Asia-Plus -- A presentation of new school textbooks, published under support of the World Bank, was held in Dushanbe on April 18.  

The textbooks were published within the framework of two WB-supported projects – Tajikistan Education Modernization Project and Catalytic Fund Grant for Tajikistan Project.  

The projects aim to stop further decline in the Tajikistan education system by targeting improved enrollment and completion through grade five and help set the stage for change at the national level, through improving textbooks and curriculum and reviewing financing options.

The published textbooks include textbooks on the Russian language for 5 ^th -, 7 ^th - and 8 ^th -form pupils, biology and geometry for the 10 ^th -form pupils and ecology for 9 ^th -form pupils at Tajik-language schools.  In all, 528,500 copies of the textbooks have been published.  

Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov telling the presentation ceremony noted that with support of the World Bank 31 items of textbooks totaling 2.45 million copies for $2.64 million have been published in Tajikistan to date.