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Fatima Latifova

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Along with reforms in the field of education in Azerbaijan, the development of teacher-pedagogical staff is constantly kept in mind for the purpose of improving the quality of education. Teacher certification steps are among the methods that serve this purpose. There is an opportunity for updating the knowledge of teachers and developing it according to modern requirements. As the level of professionalism of educators is assessed, their needs are also determined.

Certification creates a serious incentive for the teacher to continuously work on himself and improve his results. They adopt new positive practices available in the field of education. It builds a culture of lifelong learning.

In a comment for Azernews on this issue, education expert Elvin Badirov said that it is necessary to increase the professionalism of teachers for the development of education.

"Increasing the level of professionalism of educators is the most important factor for developing education and achieving productive results. It is hard for students to learn the requirements of the subject in classrooms without having serious knowledge of the subject they are teaching," he said.

The expert recalled the results of the teachers' diagnostic exams in the past years. He said that schools in Azerbaijan need certification of exams.

"Diagnostic evaluation exams held since 2014 showed that there is a serious need for an attestation process in our schools," Badirov said.

Moreover, the expert mentioned the start of certification processes in the country and explained the importance of it for a better education system.

"As a logical continuation of the diagnostic evaluation exams, the certification process has been started since 2022. This, in turn, is a model designed to raise the level of professionalism of educators, maintain quality standards of education, increase trust in the education system, and increase competitiveness in the field of education," the expert said.

Elvin Badirov spoke about the impact of the certification process on teachers' salaries and duties. He said that a teacher who does not get an acceptable result during the certification is given a second chance.

"According to the certification rules, every teacher who shows acceptable results is distinguished for his work. A teacher recruited through the teachers' recruitment exam can join the certification after 3 years of work. A teacher who does not get an acceptable result is given another chance to participate in the competition next time and improve his result. Involvement of teachers in certification every five years encourages continuous self-development of teachers under educational standards," the expert said.

Note that in 2022, overall 78 percent of the secondary school teachers have successfully passed the certification exam. A total of 1,530 teachers scored 21-29 points. They supported and took advanced training courses within a year.

Recall that the goal of the certification is to assess teachers’ knowledge and skills. Those who scored above 50 points have their salaries increased by 35 percent, while those who scored a passing score will receive a 10 percent salary supplement.

The teachers' certification now covers the whole country. This year, in Nakhchivan, a centralized assessment process will be organized and people who will participate in certification for the first time will be involved in the process.

One of the strategic goals of Azerbaijan's 2022-2026 Social and Economic Development Strategy is the continuity of certification. This plays an important role in the development of teacher training and increasing their competence. In education policy, it is planned to expand the scope of certification and apply it to other levels of education as well.

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