Teachers and students in Tajikistan’s northern Sughd province say they are being forced to pick cotton during school hours and on weekends, despite legal prohibitions on such practices.  Those who refuse are told to send replacements and even cover the wages of hired pickers.  Authorities insist that participation is voluntary and framed as collective help to save the cotton harvest.

Several teachers told Asia-Plus that directives come from school principals and must be obeyed. They say voicing dissatisfaction carries the risk of losing their jobs.

Cotton harvesting season is underway in Tajikistan, and social media is already filled with images of civil servants in the fields. Yet under national law, students, university staff, and teachers cannot legally be mobilized for cotton picking during class time.

 

“If we don’t go, we’ll be fired”

A schoolteacher in Asht district, speaking on condition of anonymity, said teachers are taken to the fields every Sunday against their will.

“We work six days a week and only have one day off. That’s when we should rest, spend time with our children, and do housework. But every Sunday we are taken to pick cotton. Even on September 9 — Independence Day — we were in the fields,” the teacher said.

According to her, the practice is widespread: “This isn’t just in Asht. Colleagues in Konibodom, Isfara, and Zafarobod have complained that they too are being forced into the fields.”

Another teacher, identified as Malohat Niyozova (name changed), said that despite undergoing three surgeries, she is still forced to pick cotton.

“Any teacher who refuses to go must write a resignation letter. Even those who are ill must send someone else in their place and pay their wages,” she explained.

 

Rotational assignments for teachers

A teacher from Bobojon-Ghafourov district told Asia-Plus that groups of teachers are sent to the fields in rotation, with their lessons covered by colleagues.

“According to the law, teachers cannot be engaged in work outside education. So why are teachers in Bobojon-Ghafourov, Khujand, and Buston being mobilized for cotton picking?  This doesn’t come from school principals — it’s an order from higher up,” the teacher said.

A teacher at School No. 18 in Khujand, who also asked not to be named, confirmed that educators were sent to pick cotton by order of the district education department and school principals.

“If we refuse, we are threatened with dismissal.  There’s a schedule, and when it’s your turn, you go to the fields while someone else teaches your class. Instead of teaching our students, we are in the cotton fields,” the teacher explained.

 

“Should students be studying or picking cotton?”

Several students and parents also told Asia-Plus that schoolchildren are being forced into cotton picking.

A student at School No. 42 in Mastchoh district said classes were interrupted for cotton harvesting: “They take us to the fields during school hours. How is that legal? For weeks now, students have been taken out of lessons to collect cotton.”

Abdurahmon (name changed), an 11th-grade student from School No. 43 in Asht district, said both he and his mother, who is a teacher, have been required to pick cotton.

“Every Saturday and Sunday, teachers and students are sent to the fields. If someone protests, they are fired or forced to resign.  The role of teachers is to teach, and students are supposed to learn — not do hard labor,” he said.

 

Voluntary or forced? conflicting accounts

Local officials in Asht district confirmed to Asia-Plus that teachers and students are involved in cotton picking but insisted participation is voluntary and limited to weekends.

“No one is forced. Asht is an agricultural district, so children also help their parents with the harvest. Almost every family has land and shares in cotton fields,” officials said.

Abdurahim Qurbonyon, head of the secondary education department at the Sughd regional education authority, denied the allegations outright: “We have neither authorized nor received complaints about students being sent to the fields. If such cases are reported with concrete evidence, we will take action. Teachers may help voluntarily in their free time, but classes are ongoing in all schools.”

Meanwhile, Burhoniddin Jabbori, head of the education department in Konibodom, admitted that both students and teachers are working in the fields but insisted this happens only after classes and on weekends, and on a voluntary basis.

“To avoid crop losses, we all must help. Teachers and students are contributing. This is voluntary, not forced. Those in good health and with the ability to work are helping out. I believe this approach is common across cotton-growing districts,” Jabbori said, while noting that outcomes often depend on individual school principals.

 

Ministry of Education: cotton picking by students and teachers is illegal

The Ministry of Education and Science reiterated that, under the Law on Education, mobilizing teachers or students for agricultural work is strictly prohibited.

“Citizens can report violations with concrete evidence, including the name and number of the school. We will investigate and take appropriate measures,” the ministry told Asia-Plus.

Sughd is Tajikistan’s second-largest cotton-producing region after Khatlon. This year, 49,245 hectares were planted with cotton, and the harvest season began at the end of August.

As the season progresses, state employees across the region continue to complain about being mobilized for harvesting.  Local authorities are actively promoting participation, while experts argue that forcing teachers, students, and even medical workers into the fields is a harmful legacy of Soviet times — one that undermines education and healthcare.