Eurasia News: Turkmenistan President Berdymukhammedov Decrees Educational Reforms Original title: Turkmen Leader Decrees Education Reforms. Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan Project. Source: BBC Monitoring/03/05/07--Turkmen TV Altyn Asyn Channel/03/04/07 Synopsis: On March 4, the State News Agency and Altyn Asyr issued the text of a new resolution signed the same day by President Berdymukhammedov, "On Improving the Work of the Educational and Instructional Institutions," which implements a decree of February 15 to reform the educational system. The resolution makes a number of changes to Turkmenistan s school system. The teachers' workload will be limited to 24 hours effective September 1, 2007 for secondary, vocational, and mid-vocational schools and 850 hours annually for academic and research institutions. A 10th year will be added to schooling for students graduating from the 9th year effective 2007-2008. The average number of students is limited to 25 children per classroom. If the number exceeds 30 in grades 1-3 and 34 in grades 4-10, to create additional parallel classes. Limits for children in nursery school and kindergarten will be set for 15-20 children in groups of children ages 1-3, and 20-25 in groups of ages 3-7. Vocational training will be eliminated from grades 7-9, and replaced by social studies and physical education for youth to study "social development laws, basics of legal, moral, economic, political and ecological culture". Students who complete secondary education may take entrance exams to enter higher educational institutions the same year they graduate. The Ministry of Education, regional governors and the mayor of Ashgabat will oversee implementation of the decree. Mandatory Work Requirement Dropped, Study Abroad Allowed for Students Original title: We are Responsible for the Country s New Generation. Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan. Source: turkmenistan.gov.tm/03/04/07 Full version: http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/people/pep&obraz.htm Synopsis: In an interview with the State News Agency published on the government's website at turkmenistan.gov.tm March 4, Education Minister Hadyr Saparlyyev commented on President Berdymukhammedov s new resolution to make changes to Turkmenistan's educational system "according to the best national and international experience." "Everything undertaken today for the purpose of forming the modern system of national education has truly fateful significance for our state. All of us, each Turkmen teacher, must realize: our responsibility is extremely great, since the progress, future, and stability of our state is in the hands of its young generation, for which we are responsible,  he said. Saparlyyev stressed the importance of reorganizing the education system to "realize the intellectual potential of the young generation--the future of the Motherland" and indicated that increased training for teachers to develop their capacity, both at home and abroad, would be part of the reform effort. Hours of study would be "optimally balanced" for both theoretical and practical preparation of students. Entrance into universities will be made on the basis of the results of both written and oral entrance exams. Past work experience in the area of specialization will continue to be one of the criteria taken into account for admission, he said. He also said the number of "the most gifted" students allowed to study abroad "at the best foreign schools" would be increased. Children Still Required To Study Ruhnama Original title: Turkmen Children Still Learn Late Leader's Words. Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan Project. Source: Reuters/03/06/07 Full version: http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=67566 Synopsis: Children are still being required to study the Ruhnama, the book prepared by the late President Saparmurat Niyazov that mixes "folklore, morality, autobiography and history written in oracular style," Reuters reported. President Berdymukhammedov bowed to the book along with the Koran when he was inaugurated, indicating his intention to go on revering the work, which achieved cultic status under Niyazov's rule. One teacher in Turkmenistan who spoke on condition of anonymity said he earned $100 a month preparing children to pass exams in Ruhnama. History exams were replaced with Ruhnama exams and teachers were ordered to teach "the sacred book" instead of conventional subjects for two lessons a week; even math contained Rukhnama references. While the president is introducing reforms such as extending the school term by a year and teaching foreign languages, Ruhnama remains for now. At two new state-run Internet cafs, Niyazov's portrait hangs over tables with copies of the Ruhnama, which is also available on Internet sites. Prime-time television still features an evening Ruhnama reading. While the state has promoted the book heavily, it may be poorly known, says the teacher, who indicated that teachers were instructed to give only passing grades in the subject. While questioning the indoctrination, the teacher said he felt there was a positive aspect to the Ruhnama because it contains moral lessons and Turkmen's own history, and that no one expected the new president to make anything but gradual changes. Turkmen Women Hold 16 Percent of Parliamentary Seats Original title: Turkmen Women Hold 16 Percent of Parliamentary Seats. Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan Project. Source: turkmenistan.ru/03/02/07 Full version: http://www.turkmenistan.ru/?page_id=3&lang_id=en&elem_id=9527&type=event&sort=date_desc Synopsis: At a press conference at UN headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Anders Johnsson, reported on the percentages of women in parliament worldwide in 2006. The average worldwide is 17 percent, he said. Turkmenistan occupies the 68th place on the list of 189 countries with women occupying 16 percent of the seats in parliament. Turkmenistan s Citizens Get Some Glasnost,  Says Human Rights Group Original title: The Country of TV Arials and Broadcasting Receivers. Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan Project. Source: chromo-tm.org/03/06/07 Full version: http://www.chrono-tm.org/?0257042833000000000000011000000 Synopsis: The period between the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov and the election of the new president has been a time of "a kind of transparency and glasnost" in the Turkmen mass media, reports Merat Babayev, an independent observer writing for the human rights group Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights. Turkmen citizens had a chance to express their opinion for the first time since former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost campaigns, as they spoke up at campaign meetings with the six presidential candidates prior to the February president elections. In the past, newspapers published under the personal patronage of the president were only read to find out news of appointments or prosecution of officials. Most information was obtained using satellite dishes to watch foreign television. An independent journalist in Ashgabat was able to count 48 satellite dishes on one five-storey building with 60 apartments alone, including antennas tuned to Russian, Turkish, and European channels. Citizens also get alternative information from Radio Liberty's Turkmen Service (Azatlyk), Iran's Gorgan Radio, and the German Deutsche Welle in Russian. Iran's programming is mainly religious in content and tuned into by believers. Azatlyk and Deutsche Welle are virtually the only source of alternative information for Turkmenistan; "Deutsche Welle has become a sort of Voice of America in the former Soviet Union," says Babayev. During the Niyazov period, Azatlyk covered stories kept from official mass media coverage, like strikes at textile factories, an earthquake, accidents on the Turkmen-Uzbek border, and the practice of psychiatric confinement of dissidents. Since the death of Niyazov, demand for foreign broadcasting has increased, and cheap Chinese-made radio receivers available at the price of 100,000-120,000 manats (US $4-5) have flooded the marketplaces. New FM Station Airs in Ashgabat Original title: New FM Radio Station Goes on Air in Ashgabat. Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan Project. Source: turkmenistan.ru/03/07/07 Full version: http://www.turkmenistan.ru/?page_id=3&lang_id=en&elem_id=9541&type=event&sort=date_desc Synopsis: Watan, Char Tarapdan, and Miras radio channels expanded their broadcasting zone and launched a new FM band, turkmenistan.ru reported, citing the State News Agency (TDH). Watan broadcasts at 102.7 MHZ on the FM band. Char Tarapdan and Miras broadcast at 103.9 MHZ. The radio channels are broadcasted via a powerful radio transmitter supplied by the German company Rohde & Schwarz. The project grew out of a campaign pledge by President Berdymukhammedov to increase radio and satellite broadcasting in Ashgabat. German-made television transmitters operate in the cities of Ashgabat, Turkmenabat, Magdanly, Bayramali, and in the districts of Boldumsaz and Tejen.