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Similar feathers of Estonian and Azerbaijani educational policy 
Estonia and Azerbaijan faced with similar challenges and problems in education during the 
independence. First of all, these similarities were due to mutual educational history with certain 
characteristics such as unified curriculum, the same ideological content, centralised system 
working with top-down principles, non-existence of critical thinking and freedom of self-
determination. Therefore, there were similar problems in the early years of independence: (1) 
eliminate communist ideology, Russian impact and totalitarian comprehension of the training 
(open up instruction framework for verbal confrontations and exchanges); (2) rearrange and 
propose new educational module; present new teaching methods with a specific goal to 
reconsider and enhance the nature of training; (3) educator trainings at college level and for 
improve the limit of instructor as per adjustment to changes in curricular; (4) overhaul course 
books or revise new reading material; incorporate community instruction to the national 
curricular; (5) progress and enhance nature of instruction; present new examination framework 
and assessment of schools [9]. Meanwhile, transition from planned economy to market economy, 
totalitarian rule of order to democratic republic created several challenges for post-soviet 
countries, Estonia and Azerbaijan passed the transition way.
Adaptation to new changes lingered the process of implementation. There were chaos and 
fluctuation in the fulfilment of the reforms, while the first attempts and initiatives were not such 
successful. It caused by the problem during the years of transition to force the implementation 

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Gunay Hamidova
 
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without any examination of the real situation in the field, which rooted from the lack of research 
done on education. Teachers’ adaptation to changes went slowly as well because of blind 
acceptance and absence of critical approach towards reforms. However, Estonia accomplished 
several projects in the formulation of open environment in the schools and freedom to 
undergone curricular changes in schools[20; 21]. 
The positive aspect characterised for both countries was to try to modernise teaching 
methods and bring innovations to schools. The overlapping feathers for curriculum changes was 
innovative teaching methods and to create interactive classroom environment. However, the 
curriculum in Estonia as well as in Azerbaijan still remains more focused on mathematics and 
national sciences, where liberal arts education which is crucial part of the curricular of developed 
countries is neglected.