Baku, August 18, 2025 — A striking transformation is reshaping the streets of Baku and nearby towns: nearly three out of every five commercial spaces now host either a tutoring center or a psychology office. Where cafés and retail shops once dominated, signs reading “Preparatory Courses,” “Psychological Support,” “Child Development Center,” and “Learning Hub” have taken over. In Masazir, a settlement in the Absheron district, one short stretch features eight tutoring centers and five psychology clinics packed into just a handful of buildings.
This raises questions: Is there really such overwhelming demand for tutoring and therapy?
According to education expert Boyukhan Babayev, the trend reflects deeper social realities. He notes that the surge in preparatory courses stems from a growing gap between school curricula and the structure of university entrance exams — a gap that fuels fierce competition in supplementary education.
“On the other hand, families feel a strong need to keep children supervised and to support applicants preparing for university admission, which has boosted demand for psychology services as well,” Babayev explained.
Economics also play a role. Opening a tutoring or psychology center requires far less initial investment than launching a café or retail outlet. A small office, a few qualified specialists, and basic equipment are often enough to start operations. And as long as educational stress and social pressures persist, the stream of clients remains steady.
The trend illustrates how unresolved structural issues are being converted into business models. Without systemic reform in education and reductions in social stress, tutoring centers and accessible “on-every-corner” psychology services will continue to expand — embedding themselves as permanent fixtures of Azerbaijan’s urban landscape.
