Recently, the Asia Plus reported about the President’s decision concerning school holidays, like “Posledniy Zvonok” (The last ring) and “Prazdnik Bukvarya” (Book day). Moreover, he prohibited high school students to come to the university or school by their own cars and with cell phones. This order has already been ratified by the Ministry of Education.

Tajikistan has taken a democratic path after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the recent school prohibitions, and changes in last names put the country’s democracy into the question. Of course, the prohibition of school holidays will help parents to save money, as they tend to pay for presents and furshet. However, to forbid high school students to drive their cars to the university and use their cell phones seems to be inequitable. If a person can afford to buy a car and cell phone, so why not to use it? Or, if parents want their child to have a good “Posledniy Zvonok” why to forbid them?!

Are these changes positive or negative? Well, lets let people decide. From my own observation, few people want to change their last name; however, according to he Asia Plus the Department of Justice is already envisaging the change of Russian ending “-ov,” “-ev,” into “-zoda,’ “-pur’ and etc.