Azerbaijan likely to reopen schools on September 15

Azerbaiajni Minister of Education Emin Amrullayev has said that the school year in the country will likely open on the traditional September 15 – but not for everyone. 

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Full-time education in schools and universities in Azerbaijan ended on March 3, 2020 due to the coronavirus epidemic.

At a briefing yesterday, Amrullayev said that from September 15, primary schools and kindergartens will resume their work in stages. First, kindergartens will open in zones with the lowest number of infected people, and then throughout the country. This process is planned to be carried out from September 15 to November.

The Minister of Education believes that the resumption of the educational process may lead to an increase in the number of people infected with the coronavirus: “But at the same time, we understand that the education of the future generation is a very important issue. Therefore, we need to be careful in making any decision.”

According to Amrullayev, students in grades 1-4 will attend school two to three times a week.  

“We expect 650,000 primary school students. Of this number, 257,000 are in schools in the Baku, Sumgayit and Absheron region. This territory has the highest infection rate. As for the students of other classes, they will be taught online,” he said.

“If the epidemiological situation is stable, then starting  October 15 it is planned to restore studies for high school students,” Amrullayev added.

As for university students, from September 15, they will continue their studies remotely, that is, in an online format.

“Students of universities from September 15 will continue their education remotely.  From October 15, representatives of a number of specialties that require work in laboratories will be able to return to the traditional form of training on the basis of appropriate protocols,” Amrullayev said.

The minister was unable to answer the question of what to do for parents of schoolchildren who, due to the announced quarantine regime, left Baku and temporarily live in the regions of the country where they are registered.  But at the same time, these children go to school in the capital.  They will not be able to return to Baku, because  due to the pandemic, entry to the capital from the regions is closed.  The minister said that this issue is not within his competence.

So far, there is no official decision of the operational headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan on these issues.

Over the past day, 137 new cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in Azerbaijan. Two people have died, 83 recovered and were discharged from hospitals. 

The total number of infected people in the country has reached 35,844, of whom 524 have died.