DUSHANBE, November 17, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- According to Tajik Minister of Education Abdjabbor Rahmonov, one of the most important problems facing the country’s education sector -- shortage of teachers -- has been practically solved.

“In Dushanbe, the teacher shortage problem has been solved completely,” said the minister, “However, there are inconsiderable teachers shortages in the provinces.  Thus, the Sughd province now has 22 teaching vacancies; mainly in the Kuhistoni Mastchoh district.  We will try to solve this problem through enlisting the services of young teachers from Khujand and Konibodom.”

Among the districts subordinate to the center only the Tojikobod district (eastern Tajikistan) now has five teaching vacancies, according to Rahmonov.

The most serious teacher shortage problem is now in the southern Khatlon province, which now has 89 teaching vacancies.  In Khatlon, the teacher shortage problem will be solved due to young specialists who has graduated from Qurghon Teppa and Kulob universities this year, the minister said.

Gorno Badakhshan currently has only 9 teaching vacancies – 4 in the Vanj district and 5 in the Darvoz district.  Meanwhile, 200 young specialists having graduated from Khorog State University this year are still unemployed.

In all, Tajikistan now has 125 teaching vacancies, while last year, the country had 1,141 teaching vacancies, the minister noted.