Tajikistan ministry permits teachers to wear beards and galoches

The Tajik Education Ministry issued new recommendations on outer appearance of teachers of general secondary schools and universities, Itar-Tass reported.

The rules, coming into force on October 1, regulate in detail all types of clothing, footwear and headwear as well as other particulars of teachers' outer appearance, reported on Sunday local news agencies, referring to spokesman of the country's Education Ministry Abdulkhamid Nozimov.

For instance men older than 50 are permitted to wear beards, but no longer that three centimetres. Teachers may come to work in galoshes (widely-spread type of national footwear in the republic, especially in the countryside). The list fully precludes mini-skirts, jeans, transparent blouses, tight-fitting dresses as well as motley vests.

At the same time, Tajik Education Minister Abdudzhabbor Rakhmonov said in a September interview with Itar-Tass that "the introduction of the new dress-code for school teachers and university lecturers does not mean at all uniformity of clothing, the more so standard uniforms".

"We approved 20 types of clothing for women and men, including the national style, presupposing traditional Tajik dress of national silk for women and scull-caps for men," he emphasised. The classic version of style - bright upper part and dark garment below the waistline are also acclaimed.

According to Rakhmonov's assertions, all these novelties were introduced within the reform of the higher and secondary schools, now in progress in the republic, as well as in conformity with mentality and customs of people.

This is not the first initiative by the Education Ministry, meeting controversial response in the republic. Some time earlier, schoolchildren and students were prohibited to use mobile phones on the grounds of educational establishments. "The first bell", "Farewell to ABC Book", graduation parties and "autumn balls" disappeared from the list of school and university holidays.

However, many experts sceptically treat such novelties, calling them imitation of reforms and requesting to pay attention to more important problems in the educational system.

Tajikistan experiences a shortage of school buildings; there is a dire shortage for teachers who leave the country, enlarging the army of emigrant workers, due to low salaries under 50-60 US dollars on average. Textbooks and methodological manuals remain inaccessible for half of schoolchildren and students due to their high prices.