KHUJAND, November 12, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Five legally-run madrasahs in the northern Sughd province still remain closed, Abdulhakim Sharipov, the head of the department on religious affairs with the Sughd provincial administration told Asia-Plus Tuesday afternoon.

According to him, a special commission is currently engaged in drawing up the educational plan for the madrasahs and determining education standards for them.

“We plan to introduce vocational training courses in the madrasahs,” Sharipov said, noting that the Ministry of Education (MoE) will permit to resume the operation of the madrasahs in Sughd only after determination of the education standards for them.

There are six legally-run madrasahs in Tajikistan and five of them are located in the northern province of Sughd: Istaravshan; Khujand; Konibodom; Panajkent, and Bobojonghafourov.  In all, 300 students have studies at these madrasahs.     

Tajik authorities suspended the operation of madrasahs in Sughd province in June this year.  According to Abdulhakim Sharipov, the decision was made by the Committee on religious Affairs (CRA) under the Government of Tajikistan.  He added that the Islamic religious schools were temporarily closed because they need to obtain Education Ministry permission for their activities.