From Traditionalism to Modernism: Developments in the Education System in Central Asia

Central Asian cultural elites in the late nineteenth century, influenced by the modernization trends of Russia, the West, and the Islamic world, recognized their cultural backwardness and launched the reformist “Maarifparvari” movement led by Ahmad Makhdoom Danesh, calling for reform of the traditional education system, language, and literature. Eventually, with the formation of the Jadidism Movement in Tatarstan, the modernists of the region were attracted to the movement. The Jadidism movement called for reform of the education system and the use of “audio principles” instead of “professional principles” that prevailed in traditional schools and colleges. The movement, on the other hand, called for the introduction of secular science and modern science into Central Asian schools. Findings from preliminary research show that the trend of modernization in Central Asia was formed in response to the Russianization process and the non-responsiveness of the traditional education system to the needs of the time. In this study, the authors seek to answer the question of what the goals, activities, and achievements of modernity have been in Central Asia.