Baku – September 2025
Azerbaijan’s education system is preparing for the 2025–2026 academic year with record enrollment, major infrastructure upgrades, and wide-ranging reforms, Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev announced at a media briefing.
Preschool and School Enrollment
This year, about 226,000 children will be covered by preschool education. Amrullayev noted sharp contrasts between urban and rural areas: while large cities face long waiting lists, many regional kindergartens still have empty seats. Reforms are planned to “balance the situation.”
On the liberated territories, 7 kindergartens now serve 243 children with 82 staff, and six more are scheduled to open next year.
In total, Azerbaijan’s education system will host around 2.2 million learners at all levels:
1.6 million schoolchildren, including more than 130,000 first-graders beginning this fall.
40,000 students in vocational programs.
63,000 in secondary specialized schools.
246,000 in higher education.
The minister highlighted the rapid growth of lyceums and gymnasiums: 39 institutions now serve double the number of students compared to four years ago.
Teacher Certification and Accountability
Since 2022, more than 80,000 teachers have taken part in national certification exams, with 72,000 eligible for salary increases. Results by subject included:
3,544 biology teachers,
2,572 chemistry teachers,
3,629 physics teachers,
3,487 geography teachers,
3,432 IT teachers certified.
Overall, 17,400 teachers showed high performance, 39,200 satisfactory, while 7,318 failed. Among participants were nearly 8,000 teachers over 60 years old.
Amrullayev confirmed disciplinary measures: 18 kindergarten directors and 28 school directors were dismissed last year for poor performance.
Infrastructure and University Programs
Nearly 600 new school buildings have been constructed in recent years, reducing the number of emergency-status schools to 400. Methodological support services will be introduced in 312 schools.
The minister also highlighted international education opportunities: since 2022, 1,752 students have received state support to study abroad. The SABAH program will expand to include first-year students for the first time in 2025–26, with new groups at ADA University, Baku Higher Oil School, the Azerbaijan Sports Academy, the Agrarian University, and Khazar University.
A landmark project is the Karabakh University, which will admit more than 2,000 students this year, including 70 in general medicine and 30 in nursing.
Workforce
In total, the education sector will employ about 300,000 staff nationwide in the coming academic year.
