Dushanbe private school charges parents for eDonish platform; provider clarifies rules

A parent at the private Nouriddin Gymnasium in Dushanbe claims he was asked to pay 200 somoni for access to the eDonish electronic school platform. Firdavs Nasrullozoda, father of a ninth-grade student, told Asia-Plus that the school informed parents of the mandatory fee.

“

eDonish is a free platform and that parents should not have to pay separately for its use.

Nasrullozoda initially resisted paying, believing eDonish to be a free platform. However, his son later conveyed that exam access might be denied without the payment. Murodali Odinazoda, the gymnasium's deputy principal for educational work, initially denied any knowledge of such charges, stating that parental obligations are outlined in their contract with the private school.

Despite the denial, Nasrullozoda contacted Odinazoda again after Asia-Plus inquired. During this second conversation, Odinazoda reportedly confirmed that the payment was still required. Consequently, Nasrullozoda paid the 200 somoni, noting that annual tuition at the gymnasium exceeds 5,000 somoni for each of his three children.

“

the allegations were unfounded and that he was not aware of any cases in which parents had been asked to pay for eDonish.

Asia-Plus sought clarification from Smart City, the state enterprise managing the eDonish platform. Smart City confirmed that free access to eDonish is exclusively for state general education institutions funded by the Dushanbe city budget. Private educational institutions, operating under different financial models, are responsible for covering their own costs for using the information system. Similarly, educational facilities affiliated with universities, such as Moscow State University and Tajik National University, also pay for the program's use.

“

free use of eDonish applies only to state general education institutions financed from the Dushanbe city budget. This rule does not apply to private educational institutions, the enterprise said, because they operate under different financing conditions and cover the costs of using the information system themselves.