General information
Preparations of new textbooks for secondary schools were at the centre of attention Heydar Alyev, the national leader of Azerbaijan people. He was regularly interested in works carrying out in this field, and noted the importance of Azerbaijan language, literature and history textbooks in the education system.
The publication and printing of textbooks, in accordance with the law for “State Purchases Act,” approved by the order No 668 of the President of Azerbaijan Republic on January 29, 2002, implementing by the tender.
Rules on a publishing, printing and distribution textbooks, preparing by the decision No 56S of the Cabinet of Ministers dated on March 19, 2004 in order to regulate providing pupils of 1st and 11th grades with free textbooks, were registered under the certification No 3103 in the Ministry of Justice dated on December 8, 2004.
In accordance with the decree, No 854 of the President of Azerbaijan dated on February 20, 2003 on the approval of “State Program on Poverty Reduction and Economic Development for 2003-2005 in the Azerbaijan Republic,” during the period 2003-2005 pupils of 1st and 11th grades of schools were assured by free textbooks.
In 2005, the Ministry of Education with participation of representatives of non-government organizations prepared the document of “Textbook policy in the general education system,” and with the concurrence of Cabinet of Ministers approved it by the order No 33 dated on 23.01.2006.
From 1997 to 2007 programs for grades 1-6 of secondary schools, Azerbaijan language, Literature, Mathematic, Foreign language, Azerbaijan History, Russian language programs for grades 5-11, as well as Physics (VII-XI grades), Chemistry (VIII-XI grades), Geography (VI-XI grades), General History (VI-XI grades), Human and Society (VIII-XI grades), Biology (VI-XI grades), and, etc. were prepared, improved and published. New programs preparing in accordance with a basic education plan, were prepared in “A" and "B" version in order to make the teacher's work easier. In Georgian language schools located in Gakh, Zagatala and Balaken districts the Georgian language program for the primary grades was prepared by teachers and given to use. The Mother tongue programs for grades 1-6 of schools in regions where national minorities living compactly were overworked and published. Textbooks were prepared based on these programs.
Azerbaijan Language Schools in Georgia have been providing by free textbooks and learning aids of grades 1-11 since 1994, in accordance with the assignment of national leader Heydar Aliyev. This work still continues today.
In 2004, 61707 textbooks were sent to Georgia as a humanitarian aid, and 6000 of them were gifted by Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, the President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Moreover, Azerbaijan schools in Dagestan received Alphabet, Azerbaijan language, Reading and Literature textbooks as a humanitarian aid. The Georgian government is permanently rendered help in providing Georgian Language schools in Gakh, Zagatala and Balaken with textbooks. Furthermore, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation gifted Alphabet, Mathematic, and World Knowledge textbooks to the I-III grades of mentioned school in Georgian language.
There are paying special attention to enrichment of school library foundation. In 2006, in the framework of Education Sector Development Project funded by the World Bank were published 846000 copies of out-of-school reading material from a series of Children's Encyclopedia “Ayna” (Mirror) and distributed free to the schools' library. Moreover, 351595 geography maps were published and delivered to schools.
In accordance with the order of President Ilham Aliyev, dated on April 20, 2007, on “Improvement of activity of libraries in Azerbaijan” attention to the strengthening material and technical basis of library and supplying it by modern information technologies grew. These aids were approved after broad debate. Have been prepared disks, methodical aids and posters for multimedia system on subjects of Azerbaijan history (Antique and mediaeval period), Chemistry (Inorganic Chemistry), Biology (Botany and Zoology), and Physics (Mechanics and Molecular Physics). Moreover, were prepared disks, methodical aids and posters on subjects of Azerbaijan history (New and Modern period), Biology (Human and General Biology), Chemistry (organic and general chemistry) and Physics (electrodynamics, optics and nuclear physics) as a continuation of these works.
Reforms in the content of education and the world experience show that textbooks demand a new, more rational content and style. In this direction new curriculum subjects were approved and have begun to use textbooks preparing based on these subjects. Textbooks were prepared with author group chosen by a publishing house and presented to the tender commission. The assessment of textbooks was held in 2 stages and results were evaluated by the points' system in accordance with “Textbooks Assessment Criteria” approved by the Minister of Education.
In order to provide study at secondary schools with modern technologies, and organize it rationally, 1400000 posters in the 140 titles for 15 subjects were published in 2008, and distributed to the educational institutions.
Nowadays, providing schools with the educational literatures - programs, curriculum, textbooks, and learning aids reflecting the indicator of education contents is in the centre of government’ attention as a serious problem.
