Azerbaijan
2016 Report on the State of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe
Questionnaire filled in by the Educator's Professional Development Institute under Ministry of Education
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q1 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To a medium extent
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To a medium extent
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a medium extent
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent
Q2 In your country, is priority given to…
a) … EDC/HRE at national government level
To a fair extent
b) … EDC/HRE at local government level
To a little extent
c) … EDC/HRE at educational institution level (school, college, university)
To a fair extent
d) … supporting training about EDC/HRE for teachers and school leaders
To a fair extent
e) … making resources / materials about EDC/HRE available
To a fair extent
f) … making financial support for EDC/HRE available
To a little extent
g) … supporting co-operation with NGOs, including youth organisations, in the field of EDC/HRE?
To a fair extent
Further comments
Q3 What is needed for citizenship and human rights education to receive a greater priority in your country?
a) Improved awareness of relevance of EDC/HRE for meeting the current challenges in our societies
To a large extent
b) Availability of data on effectiveness of EDC/HRE with respect to meeting the current challenges in our societies, including examples of good practice
To a fair extent
c) Advocacy by civil society organisations
To a little extent
d) Advocacy by prominent personalities
To a fair extent
e) Increased visibility of EDC/HRE in the media coverage
To a little extent
f) Political will
To a little extent
g) Political pressure from regional and international institutions
To a little extent
h) More resources allotted to EDC/HRE
To a fair extent
i) Other
Please specify “other”
Further comments
Q4 In your country, are there any inconsistencies between...
a)…statements of principle (on the value of EDC/HRE in education for all people) and existing education policies?
Not at all
b)…EDC/HRE policies and their implementation in practice?
To a little extent
c)…EDC/HRE policies and other policy sectors?
To a little extent
Please describe the existing inconsistences:
Further comments
Q5 In your country, have strategic approaches / measures been taken to counter these inconsistencies, since 2012?
Not applicable
If yes, please specify:
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
In October 2013 “State Strategy on Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan” was signed by President. In the Article 4 “Main goals of education” is stated that one of the goals of education is to raise an active and responsible citizen who
Q6 Have concrete measures/activities been taken to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country since 2012, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Charter? (NB: this includes work done in the framework of the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education and other relevant international programmes and initiatives)
Yes
If yes, please specify:
Since 2012 School of Law at Baku State University began teaching the subject “Bioethics and Medical Law” with support of National Human Rights Institute.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q7 Are there any measures/activities planned to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country, in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Charter?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
In April 2015 Azerbaijan joined CoE/EU Eastern Partnership Programmatic Co-operation Framework Project “Promoting Human Rights Education and Democratic Citizenship in Eastern partnership countries”. The duration of project is 3 years.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q8 Is the Charter…
a)…available in the language(s) of your country?
Yes
b)…available in the minority language(s) of your country?
No
c)…available on the website of the Ministry of Education or another relevant body?
No
d)… disseminated to the target audiences by other means?
Yes
If no, please explain why not:
There are 18 national minorities in Azerbaijan. Two of them (Russians and Georgians) have access to the Charter in their own language, the rest of national minorities has an opportunity to read it in the state language of the country.
Further comments
It was decided to put it on the website of Educator’s Professional Development Institute which is under construction nowadays.
Q9 The Council of Europe has produced a number of tools and resources to promote and support citizenship and human rights education within and across the States Party to the European Cultural Convention. These tools and resources are available at: www.coe.int/en/web/edc/resources and at: www.coe.int/compass (Please indicate the usefulness, in your country, of the following Council of Europe tools and resources.)
a) Charter on EDC/HRE
Scarcely used
b) Strategic Support for Decision-makers: Policy Tool for EDC/HRE
Scarcely used
c) Democratic Governance of Schools
Moderately used
d) How all Teachers Can Support EDC/HRE: A Framework for the Development of Competencies
Moderately used
d) Quality Assurance of EDC in Schools
Scarcely used
e) School-Community-University Partnerships for Sustainable Democracy: EDC in Europe and the US
Not used
f) Living Democracy' Manuals for Teachers
Moderately used
g) A Compendium of Good Practice in HRE
Not used
h) Compass, manual for human rights education with young people
Moderately used
i) Compasito, manual for human rights education with children
Scarcely used
j) Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
Moderately used
k) Curriculum development and review for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Moderately used
l) Multimedia Material (ex. video “Beat Bullying”, series of cartoons “Democracy and Human Rights at School”, video “Corporal punishment at school : how two parents decided to change things”)
Scarcely used
m) “Freedom(s) - Learning activities for secondary schools on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights
Not used
Other (please specify: ______)
If these resources were useful, please specify:
These resources are well-known in non-formal education field, especially in youth organizations. The main obstacle for using these resources in formal education is lack of English proficiency among Azerbaijani educators. That is why appropriate materials
If these resources were not useful, please specify:
Further comments
QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ARTICLES OF THE CHARTER
SECTION 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 3. Relationship between education for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Q10 Is there a shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education in your country?
Yes
In case if there is no shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education, please explain why not:
Please provide the name of the term in English and in original language as well as its definition and indicate the references and/or web link.
The definition is the same. In Azerbaijani it sounds like “Demokratiya və insan hüquqları təhsili” http://ihr-az.org/
SECTION 2: OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
Article 5. Objectives and Principles
Q11 In your country, to what extent do education laws, policies, and strategic objectives explicitly refer to citizenship and human rights education
a) … in formal education at pre-primary, primary and secondary level?
Moderately
b) … in vocational education and training?
Not at all
c) … in higher education?
Scarcely
d) … in the training of education personnel?
Moderately
e) … in youth policy and non-formal education?
Extensively
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do refer explicitly to EDC/HRE, please specify:
Education law, policies and strategic objectives refer explicitly to EDC/HRE because all the statements are the same in root.
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do not explicitly refer EDC/HRE, please explain why not:
SECTION 3: POLICIES
Article 6. Formal general and vocational education
Q12 In your country is education for democratic citizenship and human rights promoted as follows in schools and colleges:
a) specific subject matter – obligatory
c) cross-curricula approach
d) whole school approach
Please provide further details including web links where appropriate:
IX-XI grades have an obligatory subject “Society and Human being” I-IX grades have an obligatory integrative subject “Life Knowledge” EDC/HRE statements are reflected in School Organization Chart
Further comments
Q13 If citizenship and human rights education is included in the curricula in your country, has it been subject to revision and updating since 2012 at...
a) … pre-primary education?
Not applicable
b) … primary school?
No
c) … lower secondary school (including vocational)?
No
d) … upper secondary school (including vocational)?
No
If no, please explain why not:
State standards are due to revision once in 5 years. Standards were revised by working group in summer 2015 but have not been approved yet.
If yes, then what are/were the key challenges? How will they be / how were they overcome?
To what extent was the revision and updating process inclusive and participatory?
There was a working group out of 15 education experts.
Further comments
Article 7. Higher education
Q14 To what extent is citizenship and human rights education provision promoted in higher education institutions in your country?
Scarcely
If not at all or scarcely, please explain why:
Citizenship education is taught at school, there is no need to replicate the same content in the higher education. But as mentioned before School of Laws at Universities have specific programs on this topic. _________________________________________________
If extensively, please explain why and provide examples:
Further comments
Provision of EDC/HRE related education is widely spread in Schools of Law of universities.
Article 8. Democratic governance
Q15 In your country, are there any education laws, policies and strategies that promote democratic governance in educational institutions, particularly schools, concerning…
a) … decision making procedures (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
b) … school culture / rules?
Yes
c) … pupil / student participation (e.g. school / student councils)?
Yes
d) … parental / family involvement in schools (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
e) …school / community links (in and out of school)?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
All of these are reflected in The Education Law (2009), School Charter (2011) and State Strategy on Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2013)
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
You may find some useful information on www.edu.gov.az website.
Article 9. Training
Q16 In your country, is there a provision for citizenship and human rights education in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and other types of training for…
a) … teachers?
No
b) … school leaders?
No
c) … other education staff?
No
d) … youth leaders (in and out of school)?
Yes
e) … teacher trainers / trainers of trainers?
No
f) … parents?
No
If yes, please specify:
If no, please explain why not:
We didn’t provide it in initial teacher education till now. But nowadays initial teacher training curricula are on stage of revising. There is a plan to include it as a part of “School Culture” or other relative program. There is also a plan to include EDC/HRE in in-service teacher training curricula.
If to some extent, please specify:
Further comments
Provide examples of good practice:
In 2010-2012 “Effective School” Project was held by MoE and local NGO Center for Innovations in Education. Project covered 12 schools across Azerbaijan. 2 out of 6 project areas were: “Democratic School Culture” and “Democratic Citizenship Education in Secondary School”.
Article 10. Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
Q17 To what extent, in your country, is there co-operation and support between the government and the following organisations and groups that foster citizenship and human rights education?
a) Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
To a large extent
b) Youth organisations
To a large extent
c) Community groups
Not at all
d) Parents' groups
To a little extent
e) Other (please specify: ______)
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
Community groups are inactive in Azerbaijan. Parents’ groups are interested only in learning achievements of children.
If to a large extent, please explain the factors for success:
NGOs and Youth organisations are very interested in cooperation with MoE in field of education.
Provide examples of good practice:
Since last year parents’ groups are actively involved in school student’s lives with support of MoE. You may find information about these activities in www.community.az website.
Further comments
Article 11. Criteria for evaluation
Q18 In your country, have criteria been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of citizenship and human rights education programmes?
No
Further information:
Unfortunately there are not any criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of any subject programme besides testing. Nowadays group of specialists are working in the field of common criteria development for all subjects.
Please provide examples of how these criteria have been developed, reviewed and used:
To what extent have they been useful?
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 12. Research
Q19 In your country, to what extent has research been initiated and promoted on citizenship and human rights education to take stock of the current situation?
To a moderate extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to obtain stronger support for such research?
Further comments
Researches on EDC/HRE are mainly initiated and promoted by Human Rights Institution of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
Article 13. Skills for promoting social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
Q20 In your country, to what extent are educational approaches and teaching methods promoted that enable pupils/students to acquire competences to…
a) … promote social cohesion?
To a large extent
b) … value diversity and equality (particularly between different faiths and ethnic groups)?
To a large extent
c) … settle disagreements and conflicts in a non-violent manner?
To a large extent
d) … combat all forms of discrimination and violence (especially bullying)?
To a large extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to encourage more active promotion of such educational approaches and teaching methods?
Teacher competencies should be strengthened. This is the main goal of Educator's Professional Development Institute.
Further comments
Above-mentioned educational approaches and teaching methods are key statements of newly (since 2008) adapted student-centred curriculum in Azerbaijan
SECTION 4: EVALUATION AND COOPERATION
Article 14. Evaluation and review
Q21 Has any action been taken or foreseen to evaluate strategies and policies undertaken in accordance with the aims and principles of the Charter?
No
If not, please explain why not:
If yes, please provide links to the relevant monitoring and evaluation reports:
What were the key conclusions?
Who takes part in the evaluation process?
Example of good practice:
Further comments:
Article 15. Co-operation in follow-up activities
Q22 In your country, have any co-operation activities with other countries been organised or planned in pursuing the aims and principles of the Charter?
Yes
If not, please explain why not:
Example of good practice:
Azerbaijan is participating in theJoint Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe Project “Education for Democratic Citizenship / Human Rights Education in 6 Eastern Partnership countries”
What is required to encourage such cooperation activities?
Further comments
Article 16. International and European co-operation
Q23 In your country, is there co-operation and collaboration on citizenship and human rights education with the following organisations / institutions?
a) Council of Europe (CoE)
Yes
b) United Nations system (UN) (including UNESCO and UN OHCHR)
Yes
c) Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Yes
d) European Union (EU) (including European Commission)
No
e) Other international/ European organisations
Yes
Please specify 'Other international/ European organisations'
UNICEF
What are your expectations from such cooperation?
The cooperation will help to strengthen the teacher’s democratic culture competencies.
To what extent are these expectations met?
Co-operations with international organizations are satisfactory.
How could such cooperation be made more useful?
Taking into account specific needs of local people in EDC/HRE.
Further comments
Q24 In what ways is / can the Charter review process be of support to the countries? [Please rank from 1 (not useful)- 5 (very useful)]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
5
b) An opportunity to promote good practice
5
c) A support tool for dialogue with other countries and within the country
5
d) Access to expertise from other countries and from international institutions
5
e) Other
5
Please specify other
To evaluate ourselves
Q25 What are your expectations from the Council of Europe? [Please indicate the current level of satisfaction from 1 (not useful) - 5 (very useful) for each expectation]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
5
b) Opportunities for sharing and cooperation with other countries
5
c) Provision of a shared framework of reference / common standards
5
d) Impetus for dialogue and cooperation within the country
4
e) Authoritative encouragement to ensure respect of commitments
4
f) Technical advice / technical assistance
5
g) Access to the network of key actors in the member states through the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of local and regional authorities and the INGO Conference and the HR Commissioner as well as various monitoring bodies (such as ECRI) as a means of raising visibility of EDC/HRE
4
h) Other
Please specify other
Q26 What are the key challenges to the promotion and development of citizenship and human rights education in your country? (Please indicate the level of impact of each challenge)
a) Lack of priority among decision makers (other areas given more priority)
Medium impact
b) Lack of awareness/interest/support among education professionals
High Impact
c) Impact of the economic crisis/recession
High Impact
d) Reduction/cuts in funding
High Impact
e) Decentralised education system
Low impact
f) Changing political context (e.g. change of government)
Low impact
g) Reduction of support networks (NGOs, parent and youth groups etc.)
Medium impact
h) Lack of public interest and support
High Impact
i) Lack of media interest and support
High Impact
j) Lack of support from European organisations (Council of Europe, EU etc.)
Low impact
k)Other
Please specify other
Further comments (half a page maximum):
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE
There are plans to repeat this questionnaire in 5 years’ time to get a further sense of the progress of the States Party to the European Cultural Convention in pursuing the aims and principles for citizenship and human rights education promoted by the present Charter. It is also proposed to design the questionnaire focusing on particular areas.
Q27 What particular areas should the follow-up Questionnaire focus on for the next review cycle? (Please indicate the level of priority for each area)
a) Formal general (pre-primary, primary and secondary school) and vocational education
High
b) Higher education
Low
c) Pre-school education
Low
d) Democratic governance of educational institutions
High
e) Training (initial and on-going)
High
f) Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
Medium
g) Criteria for evaluation
Medium
h) Research
Medium
i) Social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
High
j) Evaluation and review
High
k) International and European co-operation
Medium
l) Other
Please specify other
Q28 How can this questionnaire be improved in order to ensure that the data collection is meaningful and useful in terms of encouraging further progress in citizenship and human rights education?
Q29 To what extent the process of preparation of the reply to this questionnaire was constructive and participatory? [Please rank from 1 (poor)- 5 (excellent)]
3
Further comments:
On request of the Ministry of Education number of ministries and other organizations provided necessary information for this questionnaire.
FOCUS GROUP 2016: PARLIAMENTARIANS
NB: The questions below are to be addressed to the Education Commission in the National Parliament or other similar bodies
Please indicate which body has been contacted
Education Commission in the National Parliament
Q30 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To a great extent
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To a medium extent
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a great extent
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent
Further comments:
Q31 What legislation has been adopted in the last 5 years or is in preparation, with a view to support and promote citizenship and human rights education?
İn the field of education The National Parliament stresses the importance of quality education and the development of a culture of democracy throughout all levels of education. State Strategy on Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2013) pays special attention to providing a secure and non-violent learning environment in which the rights of all are respected. We are on a preparation stage for promoting renewed subject “Citizenship” for secondary school.
Q32 What are the thematic areas of education of particular concern to your Committee in this respect?
To help young people to be able to make their own judgement based on reason and evidence; To develop democratic culture in education system; To strengthen teacher competences.
Q33 Do you have any further comments to make not provided elsewhere? If so, please use the space below.
Q34 Further comments on citizenship and human rights education in the country:
We make reference to EDC/HRE in laws and policies mainly in relation to formal education and youth policy. We promote democratic governance in education institutions through decision making procedures, school culture/rules, pupil/student participation, parental/family involvement in schools.
Other contributors contacted by the respondent, including representatives of:
1. Ministries:
The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan; The Commissioner for Human Rights the Ombudsman Office
2. Research institutions:
The Institute of Educational Problems; Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Institute of Human Rights
3. Education professionals:
Ulviya Mikayilova, Irada Aliyeva, Malahat Agayeva
4. Civil society organisations:
“Debate in Civil Society”, “For Woman Leadership”
a. Teachers organisations:
“Azerbaijani Teachers Union”
b Youth organisations
“Reliable Future”
c Children organisations
- - -
d Parents organisations
- - -
5. National human rights institutions
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Institute of Human Rights
6. Parliaments
Mr. Asim Mollazade, member of Education Commission in the National Parliament
7. Local and regional authorities
- - -
8. International institutions
UNICEF Azerbaijan, National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, CoE
9. Medias
“Kaspi” (newspaper), “Azerbaijani Teacher” (newspaper), Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (ITV)
10. Others
- - -
