University Lifelong learning education
Nigar Sultanova
Azerbaijan Teachers Institute
Vice-rector on International Relations
June, 2011
A. Legislation
Lifelong learning is vital for everyone. In compliance with the State Programme on
reformation of education in Azerbaijan, concept of lifelong learning was developed
by national experts and adopted by the Ministry of Education. New Law on
Education adopted in 2009 reflects various aspects of formal, non-formal and
informal education. Still follow-up steps are to be taken on the way to recognition
of prior education.
According to this law “Additional Education
1
” is not separate education level in
the Azerbaijan Republic and includes below mentioned:
•
upgrading of professional skills;
•
re-training of personnel;
•
repeated high education and secondary vocational-training;
•
internship and improvement of staff’s professional skills;
•
rise of degrees ;
•
adult education
Although overall any of these types of AE are to be self-motivated incentive
measures such as rise in salary or career promotion are to be provided for
teachers participating in these courses.
B.Providers
There are various state and private providers of additional education in Azerbaijan.
Among them, Azerbaijan Teachers Institute. ATI is public institution under
supervision of the Ministry of Education. Along with Bachelors and Masters
degrees ATI offers additional education. It is the main provider of retraining
courses for pedagogical staff of the country. ATI is the only Institute in the country
with 11 branches in the regions. Each year around 15 thousand teachers go through
courses organized by ATI, be it re-training, upskilling, changing of specialty etc.
For VET schools a cooperation is established with major enterprises so that VET
teachers are up to date with modern labor market demands. ATI is the only
UNEVOC UNESCO center in Azerbaijan. We are working closely with DVV
1
Further in the document we will use “additional education” term as it is accepted in Azerbaijan
international, ETF in order to modernize the system of continuing vocational
education.
Inspite of the fact that ATI for more than 80 years has been providing additional
education, it is obvious that after the shift from Soviet system of education to
totally new one and having joined the Bologna process we need to reconsider many
aspects. ATI has wide network of international partners. We organize study tours
for our teachers with the purpose of exchange of experience.
C. Current situation
New regulations on additional education adopted in 2011 elaborate more specifically
on formal, informal and non-formal education. This new model of additional
education is consistent with the prerequisites and requirements of the following core
education policy documents of the Republic of Azerbaijan:
•
Education Law – approved by the Parliament in June 2009
•
Azerbaijan ten-year Education Reform Strategy for 2003-2013, approved by the
Ministry of Education
•
Concept and Strategy on Continuous Teacher Development, approved by the
Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2007
The new regulations are consistent with most recent international trends and EU
policies in the domain of in-service training, related to the Lisbon and the Bologna
processes that Azerbaijan aims to meet. In this national and international context, a
new „modular” system would establish a consistent frame of reference for improving
Continuous Professional Developmet of educational personnel and, as such, the
quality of education provision in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It would also allign the
country to the most advanced international and European developments in the area of
in-service training.
Beginning from the next academic year further education will be provided on
modular base, namely:
•
- Training on Educational Fundations (developing new knowldege, skills and
professional attitudes related to basics of education; educational sciences;
educational psychology and sociology; general pedagogy; new pedagogies;
philosophical, scientific, socio-economic, legal, practical etc. fundations of
education etc.)
•
Training on Specialization Areas (developing new knowledge, skills and
professional attitudes related to basic specialization(s) of the educational
personnel - e.g. Subject Pedagogies; Subject Didactics and Methododlogies;
Implementing the new curriculum for pre-school and primary; Implementing
Curricula for Secondary Education; ICT in teaching different subjects;
Bibliotecomy; Childcare etc.)
•
Training on Current Trends and Innovations in Education (developing new
knowledge, skills and professional attitudes related to innovative theories,
methods and pracatices, new technologies, ICT, Active Learning, Critical
Thinking, Cooperative Learning, etc., related to areas of individual interests and
connected to the basic areas of activity of the educational personnel).
These regulations define types of training programs, accreditaion, certification as
well as mode of their implementation, be it inservice training, on on
correspondence or on a distance base.
D.
Challenges and problems.
“Lifelong learning” has become a popular expression over the recent years. Social
changes and economic transformations made huge impact lifelong learning in
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has proven strong will to modernize and bring uptodate the
overeall process of additional edication. Nevertheless, we would like to make
further suggestions:
- the content of retraining courses must regularly be updated in order to meet
expectations of participants of these courses;
- there should be more programs aimed at disadvantageous groups of adult
learners esp. early school leavers, IDPs and refugees etc.;
- As it has been repeatedly mentioned by the Minister of Education there still
remain problems in the issue of training of the Azerbaijani colleges and
universities' teachers. In this regard, Azerbaijan needs to use international
experience, including the CIS countries' experience in getting additional education.