Quality Education Support Programme II

Improving skills and competencies of adolescent girls and boys for school to work transition in Tajikistan and national support to continuity of learning within the framework of the National Education Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19.

Education:

1. Support to MoES in development of the National Roadmap of Education System Digital Transformation in Tajikistan (approved by the MoES of the R.T. Order # 1021 dated July 31, 2023). This policy framework is expected to guide the sustainable implementation of digital changes to the education sector.

2. The National Roadmap informed development and endorsement of State Concept of the Transition to Digital Education in the R.T. for the period until 2042 (approved by the president of the R.T. Order # 439 dated August 31, 2022).

3. Procurement and delivery of identified ICT equipment, and assistive devices (e.g. software and hardware for hearing impairment and other disabilities) targeting MoES defined institutions (REDs, DEDs, RITTI and ITTIs, RCITC, NTC; boarding schools) to ensure continuous education operations including conducting e-seminars and remote technical support to MoES specialists and critical staff.

4. LAN network creation and servers’ installations at MOES, DEDs, REDs, RCITC, RITTI, ITTIs, RTMC at national and sub-national levels. The initiative fostered the potential of MoES and selected affiliated institutions to provide remote and uninterrupted management and administration to improve education access and learning outcome for children.

5. Two data centers established and renovated at MoES and RCITC to host developed and localize open-source digital solutions.

6. Capacity development for ensuring maintenance and effective use of procured ICT items conducted to 187 regional MoES regional staff. Total of 410 teachers of different subjects and grades, and 120 methodologists and specialists, and 27 ICT specialists from the MoES and affiliated institutions were trained to produce quality digital inclusive education resources.

7. Jointly with RITTI conducted specialized educational training activities for 10,567 teaches to improve the skills of teachers in the effective use of digital materials and video lessons.

8. Two Teacher Innovation Centers (TICs) established under RITTI and RTMC to facilitate the development of high-quality content such as multimedia lessons to be used through digital solutions, devices, and national TV.

9. Developed 2,007 quality inclusive video lessons with sign language from grade 1-11 covering national curriculum and 172 digitized subject books (in EPUB and PDF formats) targeting all subjects and grades for primary and general secondary education.

10. Digital solution/platforms have been developed and localized and hosted/installed at the RCITC servers:

- Moodle LMS https://dl.rcict.net/ – “TAKMIL” for teachers continuous professional learning (CPL) via distance, blended and inclusive learning. As of today, almost 300 mentors and teachers from in-service and pre-service teacher training institutes are registered in the platform and undergoing online trainings.

- BigBlueButton (BBB) https://vc.rcict.net/ – localized open-source web conferencing platform designed specifically for online learning and collaboration . BigBlueButton is virtual classroom solution for online learning that provides real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, whiteboard, chat, and screen. It also allows participants to join the conferences with their webcams and invite guest speakers.

- KoboToolbox https://kf.rcict.net/ – localized online real time, open-source data collection platform to support EMIS and piloted solutions M&E

11. Last-mile national schools connectivity mapping, investment case drafted and shared with MoES, EU and WB.

ADAP:

Impact:

To enhance continuous access to quality education and employability of the youth in Tajikistan

Outcomes:

1. Improved quality of education, focused on job readiness, in primary, secondary education and VET

Outputs:

1.1. Strengthened capacities of teachers and management staff in general and vocational education in competency-based education and entrepreneurship

1.2. Career guidance programmes in general education and VET (at national, regional and school level) established.

1.3. Strengthened capacities of Centres for Additional Education to provide skills for employability (21st century, social entrepreneurship, digital, project management) to adolescents.

1.4. Support measures aiming at linking youth with job opportunities, with a focus on people living in vulnerable situations, developed and tested.

1) Establishment of Impact Source Hubs to promote remote jobs in Dushanbe, Khorog, Shugnan, Bokhtar and Panjakent

2) Establishment of AIL (50) in the country

3) Development of curriculars for ICT trainings on impact sourcing

4) Intermediary platform for job opportunities

5) Career counceling platform

6) E-course on Child rights