A ceremony was held at Baku Vocational Lyceum No. 5 on October 20 to launch training sessions under “Pupil`s friend” pilot project. Participants in the event included employees of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Health, State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, management of Baku City Education Department, and media representatives. In her remarks at the ceremony, director of Baku City Education Department Mahabbat Valiyeva said the project will play a vital role in strengthening relations between teachers, pupils and parents. She highlighted duties of candidates, saying the activities of those successful will be regulated by the “Model Statue of General School” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Month-long training sessions will be conducted by employees of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Emergency Situations, and Ministry of Health. The training sessions will provide an insight into rules of conduct in emergency situations, and the usage of personal protective equipment. The candidates will also be given instructions on emergency medical aid. Then the training sessions started at Baku Vocational Lyceum No. 5. “Pupil`s friend” is a joint project of the Ministry of Education and ASAN Xidmet. It aims to build a safe environment for teachers and pupils, provide first medical and psychological aid for them, educate and carry out diagnostic work for pupils, parents, teachers, staff and management of education and training institutions. The project is also expected to contribute to improving children`s personal qualities and ensuring their intellectual development, and encouraging their self-education and self-development skills. Candidates sat tests on October 2. An hour-and-a-half exam saw applicants respond to 50 questions, including on history, geography and culture of Azerbaijan, and logical thinking abilities. Selected applicants qualified for the interview, where preference was given to those involved in public and volunteering activity, and those having foreign language skills. Winners will be defined based on overall results, and the successful applicants will become “Pupil`s friend”. The project will initially be implemented in 30 general education schools in Baku, with the scale of the project to be expanded in the future.

24/10/2016 10:53

  Training sessions have been conducted at general education institutions under TOPs (creation of modern educational technology in physical education), a joint project of the Ministry of Education, British Council, Azerbaijan State Physical Culture and Sport Academy, and Sport for Development Public Union. The aim of the project is to equip physical education teachers with new skills on modern educational technologies in physical education and to create advantageous environment for the development of learners’ physical skills by creating opportunities for the protection of their physical and psychological health conditions at secondary schools. First training sessions under the project were conducted at secondary schools No. 95 and No. 238 in Baku. 150 teachers representing 72 general education schools in Baku and Sumgayit took part in the three-day professional training sessions on TOPs methodology. The training sessions featured discussions on the content of physical education subject, and practical studies using modern methodology. Teachers also received information on the guidelines on the usage of TOP Oyun methodological education cards. In order to evaluate the outcomes of the project, initial and final evaluation was conducted among the teachers and students by the Sport for Development Public Union.

24/10/2016 10:49

The Ministry of Education hosted a press briefing on rationalization of vocational education institutions on October 19. In accordance with the “State Strategy for Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan”, the Cabinet of Minister ordered rationalization of the network of vocational education institutions in the cities of Baku and Ganja. Director of the State Vocational Education Agency Famil Mustafayev said rationalization embraces a number of activities in strategic areas. “The process aims to coordinate the structure of vocational education system management with market economy principles, and modernize financial, technical and training resources.” He said: “State Vocational Education centers will be established and modern management system will be introduced in these centers. The centers will specialize in different areas of vocational education to meet the requirements of diversified economy and non-oil sector development. Based on the state-business partnership principles, the activity of the new Vocational Education Centers will involve partnership with employers to comply with the changing requirements of the labor market.” “The best practice of international organizations (UN, European Union, European Training Foundation, British Council, German Society for International Cooperation, Economic Development Co-operation Fund, Asian Development Bank, etc.) will be studied and applied in managing the Vocational Education Centers and organizing human resources development.” He said those wishing to study at the Vocational Education Centers will be provided with the opportunity to easily enter these institutions (ASAN Peşə project). “A mechanism will be developed to allow the successful graduates to easily advance to next levels of their study.” The centers will also ensure accessibility of education for people of all ages as it will offer a range of services for the elderly, including education, advanced training, and retraining. The event participants then responded to questions from journalists.

21/10/2016 11:40

Diagnostics assessment of knowledge and skills of teachers at state general education institutions will be conducted in 26 districts and cities in November-December, 2016. The assessment will involve teachers – on both a fixed-term and termless basis – as well as pre-conscription trainers at general education institutions in Lankaran, Astara, Lerik, Yardimli, Bilasuvar, Salyan, Neftchala, Qusar, Quba, Siyazan, Shabran, Khizi, Qobustan, Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Aghsu, Kurdamir, Ujar, Zardab, Aghjabadi, Shamkir, Goygol, Dashkasan, Samukh, Gadabay and Shusha. The diagnostic assessment will contribute to defining teachers` knowledge and skills, regulating their teaching load, increasing wages, and involving them in improvement trainings. The teachers who did not participate in the diagnostic assessment in 2015 as well as newly recruited teachers can also attend the assessment. The last two years saw diagnostic performance assessment of nearly 60,000 teachers at general education institutions in Baku and 12 districts of the country. These teachers had their weekly workload and monthly wages grow 1.5 times and 2 times respectively. This diagnostic assessment will contribute to increasing the number of the teachers whose wages grew to 100,000.

18/10/2016 18:18

The Sub-committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Public Health, Training, Education and Youth, Culture, Information Society and Audiovisual Policy, and Science and Technology of the European Union-Azerbaijan Cooperation Committee held its fourth session in Baku on October 14. On behalf of Azerbaijan the session was chaired by the Ministry of Education. It was attended by employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Ministry of Youth and Sport, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Communication and High Technologies and the National Academy of Sciences, as well as a delegation of the European Union.  The one-day session featured discussion on a wide range of issues, including education, employment and social affairs, public health, youth policy, culture, research and innovation, information society. The Azerbaijani delegation highlighted the country`s reforms and accomplishments in these areas. The EU delegation made presentations on relevant policies and planned changes.  The sides also discussed cooperation prospects, including the implementation of new joint projects.

17/10/2016 12:57

A ceremony was held at the Ministry of Education on October 14 to give state awards to education workers. Prior to the ceremony Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov, senior education officials, teachers who received state awards visited the Alley of Honors to lay flowers at the graves of national leader Heydar Aliyev and academician Zarifa Aliyeva. Participants in the ceremony included Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov, deputy ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Firudin Qurbanov, and media representatives.  Minister Mikayil Jabbarov congratulated the education workers who received honorary titles under executive orders of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for their contribution to the development of education. He described the orders as the President`s attention to the education sector. The minister said teachers` recruitment process has been conducted in a centralized manner for several years. He highlighted the mechanisms applied to improve reputation of teaching profession, increase teachers` knowledge and attract young people to teaching profession. The number of high-scoring entrants who chose teaching profession has grown thanks to purposeful work carried out recently, he said. Mikayil Jabbarov said diagnostic assessment of teachers` performance will continue, and the number of teachers whose wages increase will reach 100,000. The minister hailed the “undeniable and outstanding” role of teachers in ensuring accomplishments in education. He said that if 50 per cent of pupils successfully passed exams in 2012, this figure rose to 67 per cent in 2016. The teachers who received awards thanked the head of state for his attention. They promised to continue to do their utmost to give schoolchildren comprehensive knowledge and skills. The awarded teachers received medals and certificates.

17/10/2016 12:56

Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Azerbaijan Onno Kervers on October 13. They discussed Azerbaijani-Dutch relations in the field of education and prospects for cooperation in accordance with the tasks set by the “State Strategy for Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan”.

17/10/2016 11:01

A workshop and conference on “Media and Education Dialogue” was conducted on October 13. Participants in the event included representatives of the Ministry of Education, and heads of press services of higher education institutions. The conference aimed to strengthen relations of higher education institutions in the fields of media and education, and to increase public relations skills.  Department head at Baku State University Aynur Karimova made a presentation on PR strategy. She highlighted a range of issues, including PR ethics, development of media plans, and the organization of internal PR. Member of the Expert Council of the European Public Relations Institute Vali Alibayov made a presentation on “Communication in crisis situations”. He provided information about key requirements of communication in crisis situations and crisis management strategies. Employees of the Ministry of Education revealed the results of monitoring of websites of higher education institutions, and provided an insight into the use of new tools in improving these websites. They also made presentations on PR technologies in media. Head of Press and Information Department at Baku State University Parvana Ibrahimova and director of the Department of Marketing and Communications at Azerbaijan State University of Economics Rasim Sharifov shared their experience, and spoke of relations in the fields of education and media. The event featured discussion on the improvement of media and education dialogue. Participants gave proposals and recommendations on the development of social conduct rules platform, establishment of a common network of press services of higher education institutions, creation of student centers at universities, and other issues. This is the fifth conference held by the Ministry of Education as part of “Media and Education Dialogue”.

14/10/2016 17:16

A database of holders of diplomas of foreign higher education institutions, which are nostrificated (recognized as equivalent) in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been launched. The database can be accessed at “Database of holders of recognized diplomas” in “Nostrification” section on the website of the Ministry of Education (http://edu.gov.az/en/nostrification/search). The launch of the database aims to increase the effectiveness of the execution of the tasks set by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev`s decree “On additional measures to ensure the provision of electronic services by public bodies”. The database provides information about holders of nostrificated diplomas of foreign higher education institutions starting from May 13, 2013. The database features information about the country and university of study, academic degree, and personal data (name, surname, patronymic name) of holders of nostrificated diplomas. The database will be updated on a regular basis. The database will be useful for both holders of nostrificated diplomas and employers.

12/10/2016 17:58

In accordance with October 2016 timetable of reception hours of government executives, Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov received residents of Aghdam, Fuzuli, Beylaqan and Tartar districts in Quzanli, Aghdam on October 10. Residents as well as IDPs with temporary residence in Aghdam, Fuzuli, Beylaqan and Tartar districts attended the reception. The issues raised by citizens at the reception included recruitment and transfer of teachers from one school (district) to another, reinstatement, recognition of academic degree certificates, transfer of students from one higher education institution to another, tuition fees, labor contract extension, education loans, second higher education, and etc. Sixty-five citizens submitted their requests at the reception, with the majority of them immediately dealt with. Minister Mikayil Jabbarov instructed relevant bodies of the Ministry of Education to deal with several other requests. Some requests, which were out of the Ministry`s area of competence, and personal requests, will be brought to the notice of relevant authorities.

11/10/2016 11:30