The education and upbringing of a child is an important responsibility of parents and society for raising a healthy and enlightened generation. Responsibility itself is an awareness that is manifested in the behavior of every full-fledged member of a civilized society and every conscious individual, depending on the duties assigned to them. However, the demands of the times dictate the need to awaken this responsibility for the sake of human well-being within man himself, the state, and legislation.
The Republic of Tajikistan has also not remained indifferent to these issues through its legislation. First of all, the primary source of this initiative is the norms of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, which are stipulated as follows. Part two of Article 34 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan states: "Parents are responsible for the education and upbringing of children, and adult and able-bodied children are responsible for the maintenance and social security of their parents."
The duty of parents is to create favorable conditions for the normal physical and mental development of the child, to provide a decent standard of living, and, above all, the responsibility to prevent and avoid any unworthy behavior that children may commit due to parental negligence. It is not for nothing that they say: "A child is dear, but their upbringing is dearer."
To properly organize the education and upbringing of children based on the norms of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan "On Parental Responsibility in the Education and Upbringing of a Child" No. 2049 was adopted and enacted on June 20, 2024. Consisting of 7 chapters and 25 articles, it holds a specific place in the legislative system of Tajikistan. This law, in turn, has significantly increased parental responsibility in the education and upbringing of a child.
On the other hand, the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan "On Parental Responsibility in the Education and Upbringing of a Child" is connected with the history of the civilization of the Tajik nation, which for centuries paid serious attention to the issue of child-rearing. Part one of Article 18 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states: "The best interests of the child shall be their parents' basic concern." In any situation, a child should be among those who are the first to receive social protection and assistance, because constant care for children is an indispensable condition for the existence and development of the people, the state, and the global community as a whole.
According to the current legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan, parents have the following obligations in the education and upbringing of a child: "To give the child a good name in accordance with national values."
One of the main aspects of a child's individuality is their right to a name. That is, having a name introduces the child as an individual in society. Therefore, a child has the right to receive a name immediately and without delay from the moment of birth. Parents are obliged to give the child a good name in accordance with national values, because giving names alien to the Tajik national culture can negatively affect the psychological state of children and adolescents. The naming and correct spelling in the Republic of Tajikistan are carried out in accordance with culture, national traditions, and the Register of National Tajik Names approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan dated July 27, 2016, No. 325. According to the legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan, it is prohibited to give a child a name alien to the Tajik national culture, names of objects, goods, animals, and birds, as well as offensive names and phrases that degrade human dignity and divide people into categories.
Along with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, parents are obliged to create conditions for the protection of health, physical, spiritual, and moral development of the child. As an inseparable part of society and a category of the population in need of protection, a child, along with other adults, has the right to health protection. During adolescence and the upbringing of a child, parents must be aware of their child's health status and not show negligence.
The Law of the Republic of Tajikistan "On Parental Responsibility in the Upbringing and Education of a Child" defines and establishes the obligations of parents, teachers, the state, and society in the upbringing and education of children as follows:
One of the important points in the relationship between parents and children/adolescents is close contact and trusting relationships with each other. A child primarily needs warmth, love, and parental support, and proper upbringing and education help to avoid certain problems in the future. Parents, in turn, have the right to get acquainted with the educational process, educational content, participation, level, and quality of the child's activities. Therefore, they must have close cooperation with teachers, since teachers possess the necessary information about the child's education and upbringing related to the educational institution and can offer parents correct and beneficial advice and recommendations.
Currently, the E-Donish program has been created, through which every parent can obtain information about their child's participation and performance. In the era of globalization and rapid global changes, with the active use of the Internet, parents must protect adolescents from foreign influence, raise their level of legal literacy, and educate them in the spirit of national self-awareness, patriotism, respect for traditions and national customs that the Tajik nation is rich in and proud of.
A high sense of parental responsibility and the upbringing of educated children contribute to the formation and progress of society, laying a solid foundation for raising generations with strong minds, willpower, and a clean conscience in all respects. After all, the future of society lies in the hands of the younger generation, therefore, alongside parents, society and its other strata should also contribute to their education and upbringing.
Nevertheless, primary education originates in the family, and the family is the first school of life. A child's future behavior largely depends on the parents' high sense of responsibility.
Majidov Komron
Leading Specialist of the Legal Support Department
Antimonopoly Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
