School 30 in the town of Danghara was built in 2004 by the community. It currently welcomes 301 students in two shifts and there are approximately 32 students in each classroom. Compared to some countries where the standard is 100+ students per class, 32 students might not be considered problematic. Nonetheless, the large number of children poses a variety of challenges for both students and teachers.

Because of the lack of space in the classrooms, three or sometimes four students share one desk. This means that students cannot learn comfortably and teachers have a hard time moving around and helping students sitting in the back.

School 30 also lacks learning materials and even the most basic water and sanitation facilities—there are no toilets, no water, no toilet paper and no sinks to wash hands. All of these factors discourage hygienic practices and pose the risk of girls dropping out of school.

A UNICEF study found that 18% of girls who had dropped out of school or were at risk of dropping out stated poor water supply and sanitation facilities as a reason for missing school, proving that if we want girls to stay in school we need to provide adequate WASH facilities.

All of these challenges impede the students’ learning experience. But things will soon change for School 30. In 2023, there will be a newly constructed school building that will reduce the number of students per class from 32 to 24.

Back in 1991, Tajikistan’s population was 5 million and by 2022 it had doubled to 10 million. Because of the high population growth, the government didn’t have any other option but to increase the number of students per class and turn to multiple-shifting.

An overwhelming majority of students attend double-shift schools (88.2%). Only 6.6% attend single-shift schools and a remaining 5.3% attend triple-shift schools. Triple-shifting in particular comes at a high cost: reducing the time children spend learning, posing challenges of access and safety as the third shift ends when it is dark in winter, and limiting teachers’ availability for additional or extra-curricular activities.

In Tajikistan, the majority of schools were built in the 1960s with the support of the community without following the appropriate construction regulations. In fact, 284 schools are considered to be in a dangerous condition.

Most schools in remote areas were built with clay and wood and are vulnerable to seismic shocks including earthquakes and climatic conditions such as extreme summers and winters. As summer approaches, temperatures in the region of Danghara where School 30 is located increasingly hamper the ability of both teachers and children to concentrate properly as they can rise above 35 degrees.

The classrooms are stuffy and hot, and sometimes children feel dizzy and need to leave to get air. In extreme heat, students are sent home in recognition that neither teaching nor learning is possible in those conditions.

With support from a GPE Multiplier grant along with co-financing from the Islamic Development Bank and a government contribution, 68 schools in the Khatlon region and the capital city of Dushanbe are being constructed or rehabilitated. Five of these new schools plan to eliminate triple-shifting.

As one of the recipients of this program, the aim for the new School 30 is to improve the learning experience for students, teachers and school administrators alike. The design of the larger classrooms allows for more ventilation, which, combined with better insulation, ensures that it won’t get as hot during the warm months. Moreover, now just two students share a desk, compared to 3 or 4 before.

In addition to spacious new classrooms, the new school has a new teachers’ office, a library, a computer room and the school is to be provided with furniture and learning supplies. New bathrooms, which includes access to water in toilets, are expected to improve the sanitary conditions for students—specially girls.

All of these improvements are enabling Tajikistan to develop the kinds of schools that serve as models for a new generation of educational facilities. This means student friendly school environments and better resilience of buildings to natural disasters and climatic conditions.

Tajikistan selected competency-based education (CBE) as the priority area to transform its education system. By focusing on adequate school buildings, access to technology and WASH facilities, the current GPE program is creating a supportive learning environment, which is key to the successful implementation of CBE. Learning assessments, a modernized education management information system and modern teaching-learning materials also complement these efforts.

All of these reforms aim to modernize Tajikistan’s education system to provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the global marketplace and the 21st century working environment.

Students, teachers and the community have high hopes for a better learning experience once their new school is ready. The response has been overwhelmingly positive—students, teachers and the community as a whole are all excited about this new school. Some students already have ambitions for the new school building: