The education in Azerbaijan

The education in Azerbaijan
Education in Azerbaijan is regarded as an area of activity that constitutes the basis for the development of the society and the state, which has a strategic precaution and superiority. In the Republic of Azerbaijan, the educational system has a democratic, secular character and its basis is national and international values. All citizens are entitled to 9 years of compulsory general education. The right to education is the fundamental right of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This was established in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and in the Education Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan states that the right of citizens to be educated is determined as follows:

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  Every citizen has the right to education;
  
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  The state grants free compulsory general secondary education;
  
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  The state controls the education system;
  
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  The State guarantees the education of talented persons without regard to their material condition;
  
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  The government sets minimum educational standards;
  
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  Everyone has the right to education in the framework of the state standard;
  
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  It is guaranteed that all citizens have the right to education in Azerbaijan irrespective of differences such as nationality, religion, race, language, sex, age, health and social status, activity area, place of residence and political views.
  

Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of six and fifteen. Basic schooling is divided into three: primary education, general secondary and full secondary education.
School education in Azerbaijan is fairly elementary by western standards and is still struggling to come to terms with a combination of religious influence and the ashes of the old Soviet order. It is compulsory between ages 6 and 15, and begins with 4 years of primary school through to age 10.
Five years of basic education follow through to age 15 when the compulsory period ends. A person fortunate to have that level of schooling would have to go straight on to work.
There are 2 choices open to secondary school students. They may study for 2 more years at general secondary school and obtain their certificates of complete secondary education. Or they may go on technical secondary school instead, specialize, and be awarded a certificate of complete secondary specialized education. The Education Ministry oversees a network of vocational schools and lyceums. Several vocational institutes train engineers and scientists for the geological and petrochemical sectors. There are several types of state and private tertiary institutions in Azerbaijan, namely universities, academies, institutes, colleges and conservatoires. Their right of autonomy is protected, however the standards that they must meet are prescribed.
The oldest establishment is Baku State University created in 1919. Today it has 16 faculties, and has produced several of the nation’s leaders. Notwithstanding this, it is only ranked 1,961st best in the world.
Language: Azerbaijani is the main language of education in the schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani is the official language of the country. There are, however, many schools that offer the whole 9 years of general education, 3 years of higher education, and a bachelor's degree in Russian. The languages offered are not limited to Russian only: there are branches of well-known schools and foundations e.g. British School, EF English First which offer the English language-based education for both foreigners and expats in the country and the local people, for 9–11 years of the general education, although the majority of these schools have higher than average tuition costs in comparison with the local educational establishments mainly due to being private organizations and schools.
For bachelor's degree, the choice gets wider: the three major languages (Azerbaijani, Russian and English) as a medium of instruction are still there, however, for those who plan to take regional studies courses the classes are offered in languages corresponding to their study of the country e.g. Japanese studies and culture students must take Japanese language course without exception for some classes, summer schools and internships may require higher knowledge of the language.
Undergraduate courses are tended to be taught in English, especially at newly founded or popular universities e.g. ADA University, Baku Higher Oil School, Baku Engineering University (former Qafqaz University). Along with this, traditional and old universities e.g. Baku State University, Azerbaijan University of Languages and other establishments offer not only arts and humanities but also social science courses mainly in English.
There are 38 state-run and 11 private universities in Azerbaijan. The ministry-released reports state that in 2016, 34224 students entered the universities Archived 2019-04-30 at the Wayback Machine. Universities employ 11,566 professors and 12,616 faculty members in the country. 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 popular institutions of higher education are the ADA University, Baku State University, Azerbaijan State Oil Academy (ASOA), Baku Higher Oil School, Baku Engineering University, (former Qafqaz University), Khazar University, Azerbaijan Tourism and Management University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Mirza Fath Ali Akhundzade Pedagogical Institute for Languages, Azerbaijan Medical University, Uzeyir Hajibayov Baku Academy of Music. Much scientific research, which during the Soviet period dealt mainly with enhancing oil production and refining, is carried out by Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, which was established in 1945.
Baku State University (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.
Higher education in Azerbaijan consists of three levels of degree: Bachelor's (four years), Master's (two years) and Doctorate (three years). Universities, Academies, Institutes, Colleges and Conservatoire are all types of higher education establishments.
Additionally, there is scientific research about the determinants of academic performance (measured in GPA) of Azerbaijanis students, which implies that the gender factor is crucial as a determinant of academic achievements such that the female students significantly overshadow male ones in terms of grading scores.