THE REFORM of VOCATIONAL EDUCATION and TRAINING in the REPUBLIC of TAJIKISTAN N O I T a D N U O F
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Publications Of Publications.europa.eu fice C - N E - 8 4 1 - 6 0 - 1 X - A T Copyright photo: VET Support Foundation REPUBLIC OFT AND TRAININGINTHE VOCA THE REFORMOF TIONAL EDUCA AJIKIST TION AN THE EUROPEAN TRAINING FOUNDATION IS THE EUROPEAN UNION’S CENTRE OF EXPERTISE SUPPORTING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING REFORM IN THIRD COUNTRIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EU EXTERNAL RELATIONS PROGRAMMES HOW TO CONTACT US Further information on our activities, calls for tender and job opportunities can be found on our web site: www.etf.europa.eu For any additional information please contact: External Communication Unit European Training Foundation Villa Gualino Viale Settimio Severo 65 I – 10133 Torino T +39 011 630 2222 F +39 011 630 2200 E [email protected] THE REFORM OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN Henrik Faudel and Peter Grootings, European Training Foundation, Turin, in collaboration with Subhon Ashurov, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Dushanbe, August 2006 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 0080067891011 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://www.europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2006. ISBN: 92-9157-479-1 © European Communities, 2006. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Italy. TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 5 SUMMARY 7 1. HISTORY AND CONTEXT 13 1.1 A brief history 13 1.2 Tajikistan today 15 1.3 Tajikistan’s future 18 2. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN TAJIKISTAN 25 2.1 Introduction 25 2.2 Current situation in VET 26 2.3 Heritage from the past 36 2.4 The decline of vocational schools 39 2.5 Potential scope of VET 40 2.6 Recent developments and main policy challenges 40 3. THE SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR VET REFORM 43 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Economic developments 43 3.3 Demographic developments 46 3.4 Labour market developments 48 4. MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR THE REFORM OF VET 53 4.1 Introduction 53 4.2 Current situation in Tajikistan 53 4.3 Lessons from abroad 57 4.4 The main challenge 58 5. A REFORM AGENDA FOR VET IN TAJIKISTAN 61 5.1 A concept for the reform of VET 61 5.2 The VET reform agenda 63 5.3 Development and implementation of the reform strategy: immediate priorities 68 REFERENCES 71 LIST OF ACRONYMS 73 3 FOREWORD This report presents an analysis of built around different principles, a system vocational education and training (VET) in which had not been modernised since the Tajikistan. It places the issue of skills early 1980s and which led the country into development in a wider historical and a disastrous civil war that brought institutional context and uses experiences destruction and human suffering. The from EU countries and other transition situation is further compounded by the fact countries as a point of reference. The that the neighbouring region has, once report’s main assumption is that a modern again, become a playground for the public VET system is a necessary condition economic and security interests of the for transforming a society currently world powers. In contrast to most other characterised by high levels of poverty, countries in Central Asia, Tajikistan is migration and social and economic heavily dependent on external assistance inequality into one that has a sustainable to enable it to recover from the past and future of sound economic development and prepare itself for a sustainable future. Such social cohesion. Obviously, a functioning assistance is currently provided from a VET system on its own is not sufficient to number of sources, implying different achieve this, and more is needed. Based approaches to economic and social on an analysis of the current situation in development. The different sources of VET, a broad concept for reform will be external assistance also seek to define developed in this report. The concept takes various policy agendas, directly and into account the current challenges faced indirectly, including the possible place and by the VET system in terms of the social, role of VET. It will be a great challenge for economic and political situation in those responsible for developing and Tajikistan. Based on a review of its reforming the VET system to make good principal characteristics, mostly inherited use of the international experience from the times when Tajikistan was part of available for developing and implementing the Soviet Union, a future perspective for a national policy that fits the context of the VET will be presented. This perspective country, to find support and commitment builds on past achievements and looks at from the main stakeholders and to secure a lessons from elsewhere, but goes beyond sustainable future. an attempt merely to preserve or revive what existed before. VET in Tajikistan not Following a brief outline of Tajikistan’s only needs more funds for the history, the first chapter will summarise the modernisation of contents, equipment, key developments that have contributed to materials and delivery. It also needs creating the situation, unique in many structural changes in the way it is respects, in which Tajikistan finds itself at organised and even more far-reaching the beginning of the 21st century. Against systemic reform of its overall institutional this background, the main features of the set-up. existing VET system will be described in the second chapter. In the third chapter a The context for reform of VET in Tajikistan number of features of the overall social and is a complex one, politically, economically economic context that create the and socially. This complexity is the result of environment for current policy development an institutional legacy inherited from an for VET reform will be set out. A critical economic and political system that was analysis, guided by benchmarks taken from 5 THE REFORM OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN international policy debates, in particular another in terms of understanding the from EU and transition countries, will challenges faced by VET in Tajikistan. A identify a number of key issues for better understanding was also gained of policymakers to take into consideration. A the obstacles and perhaps even some of final chapter will elaborate on a scenario the opportunities involved in making for VET reform based on policy principles progress with reform. It is also fair to say adhered to by EU Member States, and that none of the participants has the full suggest how current and future EU answers as to how these challenges can assistance, including that of the ETF, might be faced, though an overall direction has be used to assist in the further reform of become increasingly clear. Discussions will VET in Tajikistan. The summary chapter at have to continue, initiatives for change be the beginning of the report presents the tried out and experiences shared. In main findings without the detailed particular, it will be important for many descriptions and analyses that are more of the people who are – or who contained in the chapters that follow. should be – involved in VET (in the government, among the social partners, This report is the result of many lengthy both nationally and locally, and – perhaps discussions between the authors, who are above all – teachers and trainers in involved in VET policy reform discussions schools) to become engaged in these in Tajikistan in different roles. Many discussions. Any reform initiative needs to discussions were also held with others, be based on the experience, insights and including national stakeholders at all levels readiness of the people who will ultimately and international consultants working in the have to make it work. Outsiders can assist country. One of the authors is in fact in providing access to experience from politically responsible for developing and elsewhere, and that can perhaps guide implementing the reform. It is fair to say policy development by showing that things that in the course of these discussions, all can be done differently. This report is a participants learned a great deal from one small contribution to that process. 6 SUMMARY Tajikistan is a poor country. It was poor highly dependent on assistance from other before it declared its independence from countries for its social and economic the Soviet Union in 1991, and poverty development, and to a greater extent than levels have shown a further dramatic any other country in the region. In fact increase following the gradual collapse and during most of the 1990s the country was disintegration of the Soviet economy and left almost completely on its own as the as a result of the destruction caused by the civil war put a stop on international civil war that devastated the country during cooperation and aid programmes. It is only the early and mid 1990s. The large in recent years that the emergency food aid state-owned industrial and agricultural programmes have been followed up with companies either have closed down or are development assistance, and only during working at a fraction of their former 2004 that major foreign investments have production capacities. Most have not seen been announced, largely by Russian any investment in modernisation since the companies trying to pick up investment early 1980s and many were destroyed or projects left over from Soviet times. looted during the civil war. Many suffer Tajikistan does not have the rich oil and from high levels of debt and are often gas supplies that are present in unable to pay even regular wages.