DUSHANBE, October 6, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Schools in Tajikistan are continuing to experience shortage of teachers, Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov remarked at news conference in Dushanbe on October 5.

Rahmonov said that the ministry is trying to provide schools in the provinces with sufficient teachers.  “Tajikistan now has 1,141 teaching vacancies, while at the beginning of the year, the country had 4,713 teaching vacancies,” said the minister, “However, the problem of shortage of teachers remain serious in the country.”.

According to him, Khatlon provinces currently has 423 teaching vacancies, districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) – 369, Sughd province – 116 and Gorno Badakhshan – 169.  Dushanbe now has 37 teaching vaccines, the minister added.   

“More than 4,000 young specialists have been sent to work with schools,” said Rahmonov, “Besides, a group of the best students at the teachers’ training institutes, have been sent to some regions to work with local schools.  In the meantime, more than 2,500 young specialists that have graduated from the teachers’ training institutes have refused to work with schools.”

The minister considers that the main reason for shortage of teachers is inactive work of local authorities and education departments in the provinces.  “After October 10, we intend to file suit against young specialists that graduated from the teachers’ training institutes but refused to work with schools, asking courts to exact from them state funds spent for their education,” he said, noting that the government this year endorsed an appropriate document on this subject.