KHUJAND, June 11, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Five legally-run madrasahs in the northern Sughd province that were temporarily closed down by Tajik authorities last year are expected to reopen by a new academic year, Abdulhakim Sharipov, the head of the Sughd department on religious affairs, told Asia-Plus Wednesday afternoon.

According to him, a special commission is currently drawing up the educational plans for the madrasahs and determining educations standards for them.

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

“To-date, all necessary documents have been prepared for resumption of operation of the Khujand madrasah and administrations of other madrasahs are also taking measures to resume their activities by the new academic year,” Sharipov noted.

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.

Tajik authorities suspended the operation of madrasahs in Sughd province in June last 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 down because they need to obtain Education Ministry permission for their activities.