BAKU, Aug 12 — Over the past years, more than 2,000 Azerbaijani primary school teachers have struggled to pass basic certification exams — many faltering over simple tasks such as calculating the area of a square from its perimeter, according to the Minister of Education in remarks reported by Jam News. This startling statistic has reignited debate about the quality of the teaching workforce and the depth of the country’s education reforms.
A Reform Meant to Raise Standards
The teacher certification process, launched in 2022, was designed to improve professional standards, tie salaries to performance, and gradually phase out underqualified educators. As detailed by the European Training Foundation, teachers who pass can see their base salaries increase by 10–35 percent, while those who fail twice face dismissal. Certification for preschool educators is also planned, with the government acknowledging that nearly 40% of those hired in the past lacked specialized early childhood training.
Skills Gap and Systemic Weaknesses
While the certification exams are revealing gaps in subject knowledge, the underlying problems run deeper. Education experts cited by the Open Society Foundations note that Azerbaijan’s teaching corps suffers from an aging workforce, outdated pedagogical methods, and weak teacher training institutions. Chronic low pay has driven many educators into private tutoring to supplement their income, while some school administrators reportedly pay bribes to avoid inspections — perpetuating a cycle of low accountability.
Even experimental funding models — such as a “student-per-student” budget allocation pilot in select Baku schools — have shown only limited improvement so far, raising questions about scalability.
Consequences for Students
The impact on learners is evident in stagnant academic performance. A recent study in Psychological Science and Education found that despite years of reforms since 2003, national exam scores for ninth graders have not significantly improved, suggesting that teacher quality remains a bottleneck (full study PDF).
Lessons from the Region
Neighboring Armenia offers a cautionary parallel. As reported by Jam News, nearly half of Armenian teachers voluntarily took part in a certification program tied to pay raises. Those who passed benefited financially, but those who failed risked losing their jobs — sparking controversy over fairness and support systems.
What Needs to Change
Education advocates, including members of the Free Teachers Union, stress that certification alone cannot solve Azerbaijan’s education crisis. As union leader Malahat Murshudlu told the Open Society Foundations, “Without providing normal salaries for teachers, even a perfect law has no chance to improve the education system.” The consensus among reformers is clear: exams must be paired with better training, competitive pay, and transparent oversight.
