Personality Cult in Turkmenistan’s Schools: When Fear Becomes More Important Than Education

Personality Cult in Turkmenistan’s Schools: When Fear Becomes More Important Than Education According to a report published by Azatlyk Radiosy / Azathabar on May 22, 2026, schools in Turkmenistan are carrying out strict inspections of textbooks at the end of the academic year, paying special attention to pages containing portraits of the president. Teachers are reportedly required to carefully examine these pages and may face pressure or questioning from authorities if any damage is discovered. Source: https://www.azathabar.com/a/mekdeplerde-okuw-kitaplary-yygnalyar-mugallymlar-prezidentin-suratynyn-abatlygyny-barlayarlar/33762514.html Photo source: Azatlyk Radiosy / RFE/RL. This practice raises serious concerns. A textbook should first and foremost be a tool for education, intellectual development, and inspiration. Schoolbooks should encourage curiosity, knowledge, critical thinking, and respect for science, literature, culture, and history. They should not become instruments for promoting a personality cult. We believe that printing portraits of the president throughout educational materials is inappropriate and harmful to the educational environment. Instead, textbooks should feature scientists, writers, poets, historians, philosophers, doctors, teachers, engineers, and researchers who have made genuine contributions to humanity, knowledge, and the development of Turkmenistan. If the subject is literature, students should learn about great authors and poets. If the subject is physics, they should study scientists and inventors. If the subject is history, they should see historians and important historical figures. If the subject is biology, they should learn about doctors, researchers, and pioneers of medicine and natural sciences. This is how respect for education, achievement, and true national heritage is formed. Patriotism should not begin with mandatory admiration of political leaders. True patriotism begins with love for one’s roots, language, culture, homeland, and the people who genuinely contributed to society through science, education, creativity, and hard work. Equally alarming is the fact that textbook inspections are effectively becoming tools of fear and psychological pressure against children and teachers. Children naturally express creativity, imagination, humor, and emotion. Drawing in books or modifying images should not be treated as a threat to the state. Self-expression is not a crime. No child should be subjected to fear, intimidation, punishment, or pressure for expressing themselves creatively. Schools must remain places where children feel safe to think, learn, ask questions, and grow freely. Education should develop independent, educated, and confident individuals — not obedience built on fear of damaging the portrait of a political figure. No child should fear a damaged page more than losing the freedom to think and express themselves openly.