From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Aug 20 2001 - 09:58:02 EDT
Not enough Tajik-language educational establishments in Uzbekistan - Iran
radio
Excerpt from report by Iranian radio from Mashhad on 17 August
[Presenter] Dear listeners, our regional correspondent has prepared a
commentary on Tajik-language schools and Tajik children's problems in
Uzbekistan.
[Correspondent] Expressing his grievances a friend of mine said: Do you know
that there are Tajik-language schools in Uzbekistan? There are some
faculties and groups at universities as well. However, if we look at new
lycees and colleges, we see that not a single new Tajik-language college or
lycee has been opened. Do you think this is a fair attitude towards ethnic
Tajiks?
The shortage of Tajik-language technical secondary and vocational schools in
the educational system will, of course, damage reputation of Uzbekistan,
which is building a civil and democratic society. The government is
channelling more funds into this sector than into any other sectors,
whereas, graduates of those Tajik-language schools cannot continue their
study in their mother language in these schools. What do they [the Uzbek
authorities] think about justice and equality? Let us look at figures:
Fifteen academic lycees and 20 vocational colleges opened in various
regions of the republic on 1 September 1998. First graduates of these
educational establishments have begun a new life.
Forty six academic lycees and 260 vocational colleges have been opened so
far. In 1998-2000 the republic spent 135bn soms setting up these
educational establishments. At present, 69 vocational colleges are training
specialists to meet Uzbekistan's needs in sectors of industry, transport
and communication; 30 colleges are training specialists for the
construction and municipal service sectors, 84 colleges - for the
agricultural sector, 11 colleges - for the health, trade, catering and
service sectors; 30 colleges - for the social sector and 37 colleges - for
the economic and education sectors.
The number of academic lycees in the republic will soon reach 181 and there
will be 1,615 vocational colleges. They are designed to take most young
people who have finished nine grades. However, there has been no word about
the opening of a college or lycee where ethnic Tajik young people could
continue their studies in the Tajik language.
[Passage omitted: known facts of investment in Uzbekistan's education
sector]
On 1 September students of academic lycees will receive new textbooks with
the beginning of the fourth academic year in Uzbekistan's academic lycees
and colleges, but there is still no word about education in Tajik or
creating [a word indistinct].
Countries which consider themselves to be pillars of democracy and are
allotting grants for this sector have been ignoring this problem so far.
Source: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mashhad, in Uzbek 1500 gmt 17
Aug 01
BBC Mon CAU 180801/** ak/as
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