Azerbaijan

Overview of the Education System

The education system in the Republic of Azerbaijan operates in accordance with numerous laws and legislative acts: the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan; the Education Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2009); educational decrees, orders, and decisions; regulations of the Ministry of Education; other normative legal acts relating to education; and international agreements.⁴ The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to education, and the government guarantees free compulsory primary and secondary education.⁵ Education in Azerbaijan is regarded as an area of activity that constitutes the basis for the development of society and the state, which has a strategic significance and priority. Azerbaijan’s educational system is built on democratic and secular national and international values.

The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the central executive body that implements and regulates the government’s education policy and manages the educational processes. The Ministry cooperates with central and local executive bodies, local authorities, international and nongovernmental organizations, other individuals, and legal entities. The Ministry is responsible for:⁶

• Implementing a single education policy throughout the country
• Providing the development of the education system in predetermined directions
• Providing state control over the quality of education, regardless of the legal status and type of the property
• Organizing mental health services and social or pedagogical care
• Studying and disseminating advanced pedagogical practice and achievements in pedagogical and psychological sciences
• Identifying and training talented students
• Promoting innovative teaching methods and efficient management tools for school principals and educational staff
• Strengthening educational materials, facilities, and services

All citizens are entitled to nine years of compulsory general secondary education. Exhibit 1 presents the stages and levels of education stated in the Education Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Exhibit 1: Levels of Education in Azerbaijani Schools

Level of Education		Description
Preprimary		Encompasses children from birth to age 6 and is not compulsory. It is provided in nurseries (children under age 3), kindergartens (children ages 3 to 5 or 6), and schools (children ages 5 to 6).
Primary		Compulsory level of education that begins at age 6 and covers the first four years (Grades 1 to 4).7
General Secondary	Lower Secondary	Also compulsory and covers groups of students at the ages of 10 to 15 (Grades 5 to 9). At the end of Grade 9, students take final assessments to receive a document that is considered as a basis for continuing to the next level of education. After completing this level students may choose to continue with vocational education.
	Upper Secondary	Includes students up to the age of 17 and is compulsory. After completion of this stage, students have to pass the final state attestation and then receive the Certificate of General Secondary Education.
Primary Vocational		Students who have completed secondary education can enroll in a two year primary vocational education program leading to a certificate. The duration of the program is two years for Grade 11 graduates and four years for Grade 9 graduates.
Secondary Vocational		Admission to this level requires passing the examination administered by the State Examination Center. Those who are admitted to secondary vocational education institutions from the base of general secondary education (Grade 9) also get full secondary education. A document on secondary vocational education gives the right of admission to institutions of higher education and is treated as a sub-bachelor’s diploma.
Higher Education	Baccalaureate	Graduates of the Baccalaureate level who have completed higher education receive a bachelor’s degree. The duration of the programs leading to the bachelor’s degree is normally four years.
	Magistrate	The duration of a full time master’s degree programs is two years.
	Doctorate	The duration of the programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Science (introduced by the Education Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2009) is three to four years.

There are two types of schools in Azerbaijan based on their ownership: public schools belong to the state and do not directly seek any financial benefit, and private schools directly attract financial resources in the form of educational fees.