On 24 August the Education Board of Lebap velayat awarded a certificate of merit and a valuable gift to the principal of kindergarten №26 in the city of Turkmenabad Sharapat Joraeva on behalf of the Turkmen President.
The parents whose children attend this kindergarten cannot understand why the female principal received the award.According to parents and some staff of the pre-school educational establishment, Joraeva have been illegally extorting money from them for many years.
On a regular basis they make cash contributions to renovate the premises, buy new bathroom and lavatory equipment, organize performances and other festive events despite the fact that the funds for these purposes are allocated from the velayat’s budget.
Moreover, staff of the pre-school educational establishment have a part of the salary illegally retained.
In 2013 “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” made a coverage devoted to Sharapat Joraeva’s activities as the head of the pre-school educational establishment.
The situation has not changed since that time.The former nurse of the kindergarten Nelya Shakhmardanova who fought against Joraeva, died in a psychiatric clinic.According to the kindergarten employees, it was Joraeva who used her connections to place Shakhmardanova in the clinic.
In 2012 the kindergarten’s personnel contacted the municipal prosecutor’s office and the velayat court with evidence of violations by the principal. She was temporarily downgraded in the position for two months as a punishment.
In May 2017 Joraeva together with the housekeeping manager Z. Kerimova was detained when attempting to steal food. However, a day later both of them were released. The kindergarten employees claim that Joraeva has connection in the local public prosecutor’s office.
Despite all the violations, Joraeva not only occupies the position of the kindergarten principal but receives the awards from the President of Turkmenistan.
It should be noted that this is not the only case of violations in the country’s kindergartens as many pre-school and other educational establishments of Turkmenistan are experiencing similar problems.