Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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In Azerbaijan, a significant change is taking place in the music and arts education system, bringing new opportunities for improvement and innovation, Azernews reports.

With around 60,000 students studying across 237 music and art schools and supported by over 13,000 teachers, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry is committed to enhancing the educational experience.

According to the Culture Ministry, over the past two years, significant reforms have begun to be implemented in the education system of music and arts schools operating under the Culture Ministry, both in terms of the educational format and content. For the first time last year, the admission process for students to music schools was digitized. The recruitment of teachers has been organized in a transparent manner and consists of two phases. In 2023, 253 teachers succeeded in the selection process, while in 2024, 237 teachers were successful. Notably, 63 percent of the newly hired teachers hold higher education degrees.

Furthermore, this year, for the first time, a digital platform for the management of art schools, named IEMS, has been created. This system will facilitate monitoring the teaching process, forming a database of teacher-student information, creating electronic schedules, and conducting analytical assessments. Currently, about 80 per cent of the teaching staff working within this system hold vocational education, while the share of teachers with higher education is just 17 percent, half of whom have specialized in their fields.

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry is systematically working on assessing and developing the professional skills of teachers. For the first time, an assessment process aimed at measuring the professional skills and competencies of teachers working under the Ministry is planned. This process is expected to be completed within two years. Following this, training tailored to the needs of music and arts teachers, organization of open lessons, and collaboration with higher and vocational educational institutions regarding teacher training are planned.

The assessment process will initially begin in music and arts schools located in Baku, Absheron, and Sumgayit, before expanding to other regions.

There are ongoing discussions on social media regarding the necessity of evaluating the knowledge and skills of teachers in music and arts schools. Some view this step as a means of firing teachers.

However, it is essential to recognize that teachers directly influence the education of students, who are the future of the society, and they must continually strive for self-improvement.