Turkmen Leader Sends Congratulatory Message to School Leavers

Excerpt from report by pro-government Turkmenistan.ru Internet newspaper website on 24 May

This morning the last bell rang for country’s pupils in all secondary schools of Turkmenistan. This year’s graduating class is remarkable because the Turkmen school leavers will get certificate with complete ten-year secondary education.

On this occasion Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow sent a congratulatory message to school leavers, teachers of secondary schools and all workers of the country’s education system. All central republican media outlets published the text of the presidential congratulation, an Asgabat correspondent of the Turkmenistan.ru has reported.

“During 2007-2008 school academic year, the period of education in secondary schools and higher educational institutions of the country was brought in line with terms of education all over the world. Now after finishing tenth form children can enter any high educational institution of the country or prestigious foreign higher educational institutions, it will make it possible for them to continue the chain of gained knowledge without interruption,” the president said.

[Passage omitted: the president says the country's future is in school leavers hands]

Let us recall that just after this nation-wide election to the highest state post in February 2007, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow launched fundamental reform in the educational system of Turkmenistan by signing a resolution “On improving the education system in Turkmenistan”. In line with the document starting from 1 September 2007-2008 academic year the term of education in secondary schools of the country was increased to 10 years, in higher educational institutions to five years, and education on medical specialities and on some forms of art to six years.

[Passage omitted: the late Turkmen president, Saparmyrat Nyyazow, abolished ten-year education and introduced nine-year secondary education which caused many problems for Turkmen school leavers to study at higher educational establishments abroad]

Originally published by Turkmenistan.ru Internet newspaper website, Moscow, in Russian 24 May 08.

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