Over the past two years, the number of students in Tajikistan has decreased significantly, especially the number of boys. Officials say this is due to the fact that high school graduates more often enrol at foreign universities. However, experts say that the new law “On Military Duty and Military Service” is to blame.
18-year-old Hussein Khayriddinzoda is graduating this year from school No. 108 in Dushanbe and has already registered at the National Testing Center. However, he does not want to participate in the entry exams and plans to go to Russia to earn money when he finishes school.
He says that if he doesn’t leave, he will lose the opportunity to get a good job. Although he has strong knowledge and studies with excellent grades.
“Even if I finish university, I still have to serve another year. So you have to think about perspectives,” Khairiddinzoda told CABAR.asia.
His family consists of seven people, and his father is on labour migration in Russia. Hussein is the eldest son and has to be his father’s helper. His enrollment in university will increase the burden on the family’s budget.
“The cost of contract education is high, and my father will have to work more to cover my expenses,” Khairiddinzoda said. He added that in universities, according to his friends, bribes are being taken and, consequently, the expenditures will be even higher.
Hussein has two options. Either he’ll go to Russia to join his father and work with him, or he’ll be forced to serve in the army during the next conscription.
The law “On Military Duty and Military Service” was adopted in Tajikistan in 2021. According to it, alternative military service is no longer available for students – after graduation all male students will be called up for one year of military service. Graduate students and postgraduate students are no longer eligible for deferment of military service.
Applicants register but don’t show up
According to information from the National Testing Center (NTC, a subordinate body under the president responsible for conducting examinations among high school graduates and placing them in universities), the number of young men among applicants is decreasing.
Of the total number of applicants in 2022, 89% of girls and 78% of boys participated in entrance examinations. In 2016, out of the total number of registered applicants, 94% of girls and 91% of boys participated in the examinations.
Another problem is that some do not show up for exams after registering. For instance, out of 82,200 registered applicants in 2022, only 68,600 showed up for the exams. Thus, 14,600 did not attend, which is about a fifth of the total. In addition, 11 thousand out of 60 thousand applicants did not attend classes.
Abdulvosit Shodiniyo, first deputy director of NTC, said at a past press conference of the National Testing Centre that according to a study conducted by the Centre, most respondents [did not attend classes after they had entered] due to lack of ability to pay for their studies.
If counted in percentages, 87.5 per cent of 2020 high school graduates became university applicants, while in 2022, the figure reached only 72.6 per cent.
What do the authorities say?
The number of students has been declining, Sabzali Jafarzoda, head of that NTC, said at a press conference.
“In recent years, the number of graduates has remained nearly flat, with an average of 116,000-117,000 people graduating from schools. At the same time, the admission plan {to higher education institutions} has increased. While in 2017 the admission plan was 65,144, in 2022 it will already be 95,858. Therefore, one might get the impression that the admission plan is not being fulfilled every year,” he said.
Abdulvosit Shodiniyo said the main reason for the drop in enrolment is the opening of borders – some of the young people are leaving to study in other countries.
“Secondly, the adoption of the new law on military service may have contributed to this. The reasons may be different,” said Shodiniyo.
He says that a comprehensive understanding of the situation requires analysis in order to come to the right conclusions.
“From the number of graduates who did not register and did not take part in NTC exams in 2022, a random sampling method with predetermined criteria should be used to select and then question why they did not take part in these exams. Only on the basis of this data, a conclusion can be drawn,” Shodiniyo stressed.
Earlier, the Director of the Agency for Supervision in the field of Education and Science under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Ikrom Subhonzoda had expressed his concern about the matter, saying that the decline in the number of students has negative consequences that could harm primary, secondary and higher vocational education institutions.
“This factor can lead to a staffing shortage,” believes Subhanzoda.
Pros and cons
Experts attribute the main reason for the decrease in the number of students to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service”. Dilrabo Samadova, head of the public organization Office of Civil Liberties, believes that this trend has both negative and positive sides.
According to the expert, the right to education should be higher than military service. Modern science is in the hands of young people, so their right to education should be supported.
“Military service should not get in the way of knowledge and the right to education. Certainly, military service is a constitutional obligation, but at the same time, the right to education is also a constitutional right. And that right should be superior and preferable to other obligations. Because everyone knows that the foundation of our country’s development depends on science,” she told CABAR.asia.
According to Samadova, in 2021, when the new law on military service was adopted, there was a decrease in the number of master’s and PhD students. The reason was the abolition of deferment of service for these categories of students.
On the other hand, in her opinion, this factor could lead to an increase in the quality of students and young scientists, since only those who truly want to learn and gain knowledge become students.
“The number of those who were entering universities just to get a deferment of service, who were not studying properly, will decrease,” Samadova added.
However, she is concerned that applicants are leaving to study abroad because conditions there are better and there are more opportunities for them.
“This way we can lose young scientists and modern science. Because young scientists leave to study and earn a degree in other countries,” she stressed.
Dilrabo Samadova suggests revising the law and stresses that contract servicemen should be called up for military service.
“The law has been in force for two years now, we have seen it in action. My proposal is that it would be good to correct its flaws and make new amendments. Military service is a professional service and only specialists should be recruited to the army,” Samadova said.
Dilrabo Samadova suggests revising the law and stresses that contract servicemen should be called up for military service.
“The law has been in force for two years now, we have seen it in action. My suggestion is that it would be good to correct its flaws and make new amendments. Military service is a professional service and only specialists should be recruited to the army,” Samadova said.