Work, Family Life Keep Tajik Girls from School
Monday, November 5, 2007 1:53 PM
School teachers in Tajikistan are noting that fewer girls are being sent to school since the end of the civil war there. Although teachers attempt to adapt curriculum so that families will be willing to see the education as useful, girls remain caught up in the demands of family work, such as agriculture and caring for siblings. Additionally, rural parents are often unable to afford the cost of schooling. Gender relations expert Gulchikhra Mirzoeva noted that girls she spoke with seemed more interested in their future marriages. Schools have begun to keep a list of girls who have dropped out, despite government claims that the phenomenon is rare. Compiled from: Newman, Dina, “Tajik Girls Drop School to Marry,” BBC World Service, 7 December 2006.