Tajikistan grants full military exemption to all school teachers
Tajikistan’s parliament has approved amendments to the country’s military service law granting all school teachers a full exemption from compulsory military duty
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (MNTV) — Tajikistan’s parliament has approved amendments to the country’s military service law granting all school teachers a full exemption from compulsory military duty — a major reform aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage and elevating the social status of educators, local media reported Thursday.
The amendments to the Law “On Military Duty and Military Service” were endorsed by the Majlisi Namoyandagon, the lower house of parliament, and now await approval from the upper chamber, the Majlisi Milli, before being signed into law by President Emomali Rahmon.
Under the previous version of the law, only teachers with higher education degrees working in rural schools were exempt from conscription. The new provision extends that exemption to all teachers, regardless of school type or location.
First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Homid Hoshimzoda, who presented the proposal on October 15, said the change “aims to raise the status of teachers and resolve the acute shortage of qualified educators in Tajikistan.”
The reform comes amid mounting concerns over teacher shortages. Education Minister Rahim Saidzoda said that at the start of the 2025–2026 academic year, schools faced a deficit of more than 3,800 teachers, despite over 13,000 education graduates entering the job market this year.
Experts say the staffing crisis is driven by low pay, unfulfilled local benefits such as land allotments, and the forced conscription of teachers into the army.
The government has also adopted a new Law “On the Status of Educators,” which for the first time formally defines the legal, social, and financial standing of teachers. The law prohibits unpaid community labor, protects teachers from harassment or coercion, and grants social benefits including priority access to land plots and housing assistance.
President Rahmon initiated the reform process last year, calling in a Knowledge Day speech for stronger legal protections for teachers, whom he described as vital to the nation’s future.
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