School in Tajikistan

Formal preschool education includes kindergartens, preschool groups and Early Childhood Development Centers or Groups; care without an educational function is outside the school system. In 2024/25, Tajikistan had 4,037 daytime general-education institutions with about 2.36 million pupils. Public, private, international, comprehensive, specialized, boarding and special institutions operate within the system. гимназия usually provides a social-humanitarian profile, while литсей usually emphasizes natural and mathematical subjects; these terms describe local school profiles and are not direct equivalents of German school types. A child who is seven by the end of December must enroll in Grade 1. Residence and the school's catchment area normally determine access, while admission from another area depends on available places. Foreign citizens and stateless children have equal education rights. Schools may provide day, evening, part-time, distance, inclusive, family, individual or externship forms where the relevant arrangements exist. Tajik is the main language of instruction and a compulsory subject. Schools may provide instruction in a minority mother tongue in compact communities when capacity allows, and foreign-language education includes Russian and English. The State Standard, national model plans and educational programmes define the curriculum. A 2025 national framework promotes competency-based, learner-centred teaching, digital learning and inclusion; a draft revised State Standard was still under review in 2026. Grades 1–4 usually follow a five-day week, while Grades 5–11 usually follow a six-day week. Lessons generally last 35 minutes in Grade 1 and 45 minutes in Grades 2–11, with shifts often beginning around 08:00 or 13:00. Schools may include classrooms, libraries, toilets, canteens, playgrounds and sports facilities, although conditions differ between places and multi-shift provision remains a policy issue. Access planning uses approximate limits of 0.5 km on foot or 10–15 minutes by vehicle for primary pupils, 30 minutes for lower secondary pupils and 45 minutes for upper secondary pupils; boarding can provide an alternative where no local school or suitable residence access exists. Schools use current and intermediate assessment, grade-transition attestation and final State Attestation. Completion of Grade 9 leads to a certificate of basic general education, and completion of Grade 11 leads to a general secondary certificate. Accredited completion grants access to the next education stage under the applicable admission rules. The National Testing Center supports standardized assessment, while the Agency for State Supervision in Education and Science handles licensing, accreditation and control. The Ministry of Education and Science sets national policy, standards, curricula and plans; local executive authorities and education departments manage schools, budgets, infrastructure, registration, attendance and reporting. State general secondary education is guaranteed free, although the law permits a paid bilateral-contract option in state general-secondary institutions at parents' choice. Private schools are generally funded through their founders and fees. Targeted school-feeding programmes operate particularly for primary pupils, but no nationwide free-meal entitlement is evidenced. State-funded education and care support orphans, children without parental care and children with disabilities, and long-term illness can qualify for free home or hospital schooling. Parents may choose a school or form of education, participate in school self-government and submit complaints or appeals; they also have duties to support learning and enable regular attendance.