Looking back at the Spring 2007, especially at May 25th, which is traditionally last day of school and graduation ceremonies are held at every secondary school around post-soviet region, including Turkmenistan. But there were none this year… for the Turkmen good!

Fortunately, there was no graduating class 2007 even though many school students had already ordered their ribbons “Graduate 2007″ and special photo albums, and reserved place for the prom night.

The First decree signed by Newly Elected President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov was on major reforms in Education system of Turkmenistan. Following the great parth of the First President Saparmurat Turkmenbashy, Berdymuhamedov is also eagle to “enable the national system of education to reach new world levels”

Students in their last 9th year of school just a season ago are now starting unexpected 10th year. Of course, it will enable them to enter university abroad in neighbouring countries since education department of other states don’t recognize 9 year secondary school diplomas (students graduated 2002-2006)

Ministry of Education had only half year to expand school plan and coursework. What would it look like? in March 2007 President “reinstated physical culture classes”  which were cancelled in mid90s. It is planned to introduce new courses such as social sciences, government courses, arts and more vocational training within compulsory education. New books had already been published in order to meet standards of 10 year study. Was this reform developed ahead of the presidential elections for the textbooks revised? Some school students said that they kind of knew and we warned of possible 10th year to be added.  Maybe it was rather one more hope or rumour, and those books had been just as same editions back from 70-90s?

How innovative and new this reform is? How does it relate to sacred policies of previous leader?  Is it just bringing back what was taken away by the New Education Reform in 1993 and 1999? What is going to happen to Ruhnama classes? Would the same quality and content come back too if there were any ever?

 I remember the days when 9-year system was introduced. Class schedule was so overwhelming and busy: curriculum developers were trying to fit everything, they planned for 18 months, into 9.  We skipped hard sciences, but had “advanced” The Book Studies which should be even linked to experiments and theories  at Physics and Chemistry classes.

Abdul, my prognosis for 2021: school students studying Patriotic Ethnocentrism as part of History and Government classes and The Book social science as empirical tool to implement and then prosper in Golden Age, followed by teambuilding activities at Olympic stadium and Serdar Yoly.

If not, then get morally strong and ready, something is coming…

“The sacred duty of the employees of the education sphere, professors and each of us consists in preparing a worthy young generation as well-educated and morally sustainable young people”, the President stressed.