DUSHANBE, July 31, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- A republican conference to discuss the present state of the education sector, new academic year and preparations for autumn-winter 2008-2009 was held in Dushanbe on July 31, according to press service of the Ministry of Education (MoE).  

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Education Abdujabbor Rahmonov expressed dissatisfaction with low quality of education at boarding schools and demanded that they should be prepared properly for the new school year.  

Preparation of educational facilities for the winter was among major topics of the conference.  The minister charged boarding school principals to take adequate measures stock in enough coal and food products for the winter.  

A special attention was paid to the shortage of teachers and improvement of internal control within the boarding schools.  

Harshly criticizing low quality of education at boarding schools, Rahmonov charged the boarding school principals to prepare al least three pupils per year for participation in republican Olympiads, the press service said  

According to MoE, 78 boarding schools with totaling 8,834 pupils currently function in Tajikistan.