DUSHANBE, July 23, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Fewer and fewer girls are being involved in school education in Tajikistan.

In 2008/2009 school year, 797,506 girls attended school, while in 2009/2010 school year, the number of schoolgirls decreased to 796,961, Noilsho Nouraliyev, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.

“Every year, Minister of Education Abdujabbor Rahmonov sends official letters to chairmen of cities and districts, asking them to involve more children, especially girls, in school education; however, more than more girls are dropping out of school before reaching ninth grade,” the spokesman said.

The first deputy chairperson of the Committee for Family and Women’s Affairs, Ms. Qimmatgul Aliberdiyeva, considers that one of the main reasons why schoolgirls drop out of school in rural areas is remoteness of schools from their villages.  Schools are frequently situated in the district administrative centers, several kilometers far from villages.  Besides, many impoverished parents in the countryside could not afford to send their daughters to school.  The other reason is propagation of some mullahs, who say girls are brought up to be good Muslims and obedient wives.  “Girls are future mothers and they should be well educated,” Aliberdiyeva added.