DUSHANBE, January 7, Asia-Plus /Mavjouda Hasanova/ -- A Center for Talented Children is expected to open in Dushanbe during this month, Shamsullo Islomov, head of the Dushanbe education directorate, said. 

According to him, the Dushanbe authorities seconded an initiative to open such center last August.  “A building of preschool institution # 15 has been allotted for the center and repair-and-renewal operations have practically been completed,” the Dushanbe education official said.

80 talented children have already been competitively selected from 1,300 schoolchildren who participated in testing.  “An additional testing will be conducted among them and winners of the ongoing City School Olympiads in the enar future, and the best of them will be selected to attend the center,” Islomov said.   

He added that other children also might attend the center but for a certain fee – 40 somonis per month.  “The center is designed to accommodate 400 5th-11th grade students,” said Islomov, “Each class will have not more than 10-12 pupils.”  According to him, pupils will spend some 4 hours per week in the center.   

According to him, they have already purchased 40 computers and 600 copies of textbooks on various subjects for the center.

The center students will have an opportunity to thoroughly get ready for entering higher educational institutions both in Tajikistan and abroad.  Skilled teachers from general schools and universities will train them.