Education
When the Soviet Union crumbled, Azerbaijan, like other former Soviet republics, was forced to end its reliance upon the uniform, centralized system of social supports that had been administered from Moscow. In the early 1990s, however, Azerbaijan did not have the resources to make large-scale changes in the delivery of educational, health, or welfare services, so the basic Soviet-era structures remained in place.
Education
In the pre-Soviet period, Azerbaijani education included intensive Islamic religious training that commenced in early childhood. Beginning at roughly age five and sometimes continuing until age twenty, children attended madrasahs, education institutions affiliated with mosques. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, madrasahs were established as separate education institutions in major cities, but the religious component of education remained significant. In 1865 the first technical high school and the first women's high school were opened in Baku. In the late nineteenth century, secular elementary schools for Azerbaijanis began to appear (schools for ethnic Russians had been established earlier), but institutions of higher education and the use of the Azerbaijani language in secondary schools were forbidden in Transcaucasia throughout the tsarist period. The majority of ethnic Azerbaijani children received no education in this period, and the Azerbaijani literacy rate remained very low, especially among women. Few women were allowed to attend school.
In the Soviet era, literacy and average education levels rose dramatically from their very low starting point, despite two changes in the standard alphabet, from Arabic to Roman in the 1920s and from Roman to Cyrillic in the 1930s. According to Soviet data, 100 percent of males and females (ages nine to forty-nine) were literate in 1970.
During the Soviet period, the Azerbaijani education system was based on the standard model imposed by Moscow, which featured state control of all education institutions and heavy doses of Marxist-Leninist ideology at all levels. Since independence, the Azerbaijani system has undergone little structural change. Initial alterations have included the reestablishment of religious education (banned during the Soviet period) and curriculum changes that have reemphasized the use of the Azerbaijani language and have eliminated ideological content. In addition to elementary schools, the education institutions include thousands of preschools, general secondary schools, and vocational schools, including specialized secondary schools and technical schools. Education through the eighth grade is compulsory. At the end of the Soviet period, about 18 percent of instruction was in Russian, but the use of Russian began a steady decline beginning in 1988. A few schools teach in Armenian or Georgian.
Azerbaijan has more than a dozen institutions of higher education, in which enrollment totaled 105,000 in 1991. Because Azerbaijani culture has always included great respect for secular learning, the country traditionally has been an education center for the Muslim peoples of the former Soviet Union. For that reason and because of the role of the oil industry in Azerbaijan's economy, a relatively high percentage of Azerbaijanis have obtained some form of higher education, most notably in scientific and technical subjects. Several vocational institutes train technicians for the oil industry and other primary industries.
The most significant institutions of higher education are the University of Azerbaijan in Baku, the Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry, the Polytechnic Institute, the Pedagogical Institute, the Mirza Fath Ali Akhundzade Pedagogical Institute for Languages, the Azerbaijan Medical Institute, and the Uzeir Hajibeyli Conservatory. Much scientific research, which during the Soviet period dealt mainly with enhancing oil production and refining, is carried out by the Azerbaijani Academy of Sciences, which was established in 1945. The University of Azerbaijan, established in 1919, includes more than a dozen departments, ranging from physics to Oriental studies, and has the largest library in Azerbaijan. The student population numbers more than 11,000, and the faculty over 600. The Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry, established in 1920, has more than 15,000 students and a faculty of about 1,000. The institute trains engineers and scientists in the petrochemical industry, geology, and related areas.
Physicians. Several research institutes also conduct medical studies.
After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan's declining economy made it impossible for the Azerbaijani government to provide full support of the health infrastructure. Shortages of medicines and equipment have occurred, and some rural clinics have closed. In 1993 a Western report evaluated Azerbaijan's sanitation, pharmacies, medical system, medical industry, and medical research and development as below average, relative to similar services in the other former Soviet republics.
In 1987 the leading causes of death in order of occurrence were cardiovascular disease
Quality education for all: living together, democracy and social cohesion
Azerbaijan Republic is situated on the crossroads of Europe and Asia and borders on five states (Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, and Turkey). The total length of its borders is 2849km, territory being 86,600sq.km. Population of Azerbaijan is 8mln people. In spite of the fact that education in Azerbaijan has deep roots, its real development began from 20-s of XX century.. For a short period of time illiteracy was completely eliminated and a broad network of educational institutions were established in once backward country. At present, in accordance with the Law on Education of Azerbaijan Republic the following structure of education system is adopted: 1. General Education; 2. Specialized professional education: 3. Vocational education; 4. Secondary specialized education; 5. Higher professional education (higher professional education includes: Bachelor degree course Master degree course); 6. Post-diploma training
Studies for Doctoral degree; In-service training retraining of staff.
Within this structure, a broad network of educational institutions functions in the Republic, including1814 pre-school institutions, 4610 secondary schools, 110 vocational schools and lyceums, 71 secondary specialized educational institutions (technical schools, colleges), 48 higher educational institutions universities, institutes, academies)
According to the Constitution of Azerbaijan Republic, every citizen has the right to free Education. All necessary conditions are created in the Republic to provide constitutional right of the citizens to get free education. Citizen of Azerbaijan has the right to education irrespective of his/her race, nationality, social position, language or age. The state guarantees equal rights of citizens to education. At present, radical reformation of the education system is being implemented in the Republic.
Priority trends in the process of reformation are improvement of the quality of education and development of international relations in the sphere of education, in order to ensure compliance with international standards.
One of the most important achievements in the field of international cooperation is the development of the ‘Reformation Program in the sphere of education’ together with the World Bank experts.
The Program was adopted by the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan. System of education of Azerbaijan Republic is officially represented in a number of major international organizations: UNESCO,
Council of Europe, ISESCO, and European Training Foundation. Two Azerbaijani experts participate in activities of the Commission on TACIS Program as international experts in higher schools. One of the most significant fields in the cooperation with international organizations is involvement of our higher educational institutions for participation in TEMPUS Program, which is funded by European Commission.
Major trends in cooperation with the above mentioned organizations are participation in international conferences, symposiums and meetings; organization of in-service teacher training courses for pedagogical staff of secondary and higher educational institutions; implementation of joint projects aimed at development of our higher educational institutions within the framework of TACIS/TEMPUS Programs; involvement of leading European experts for conducting lectures and discussions; implementation of initial expertise of new textbooks planned for publication (on foreign languages and humanities); organization of joint scientific conferences; participation of teachers from higher and secondary schools in long-term and short-term inservice teacher training courses abroad; joint preparation of textbooks and curricula for higher and secondary schools.
In 2000, international cooperation with international organizations, non-government organizations and foreign countries expanded. For the latest years, useful cooperation is being developed between the Ministry of Education and Academic Exchange Service of Germany (DAAD). Scholarships offered by DAAD stipulate not only study of German language, but other specialities (especially technical) as well. Fruitful cooperation in the field of education is going on with France. Beginning from 1993, 289 secondary school students got one-year-long education in the USA, within the framework of the Project implemented jointly by ‘World Learning’ organization and ACCELS.
At present, Azerbaijani citizens get education in Turkey, France, Russia, Egypt, Iran, China, Romania, USA, Slovakia, Mexico and others. Students from 20 foreign countries, including Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Sudan, Somalia and others, study in higher educational institutions of Azerbaijan Today, our national system of education faces many problems and we need experience and assistance of international organizations in order to cope with them as well as implementation of international and regional programs on such issues as underprivileged children, education for refugees and issues related to humanization of education and human focused education.