Azerbaijan

Last update: October, 2021

The Ministry for Culture and the Ministry of Education are the central government bodies responsible for arts and cultural education and training in the Republic of Azerbaijan. That is to say, cultural education and training institutions are divided between the Ministry for Culture and the Ministry of Education. Thus, the Ministry for Culture implements the state cultural policy for the out-of-school arts and cultural education sphere and supervises children's music, art and painting schools, which offer primary and secondary out-of-school education to children, adolescents, and young people. The total number of children’s musical, art and painting schools in the system of the Ministry for Culture is 238. In addition, the Baku Choreography Academy, a higher education institution established on 30 April 2014, based on the Baku Choreographic School, is also in the system of the Ministry for Culture and implements general, secondary and higher education programmes in the field of choreography.

The Ministry of Education oversees artistic education in secondary schools (4433, total) by implementing music and fine arts curricula for I-IX grades. Schools providing education in culture and the arts at the special secondary level are also mainly in the system of the Ministry of Education. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of six and fifteen – they are entitled to 9 years of mandatory general education. Basic schooling is divided into three: primary education, general secondary and complete secondary education.

The Ministry of Education supervises most of the higher arts and cultural education institutions, such as:

• The Baku Academy of Music, named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli,
• The State University of Culture and the Arts,
• The Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts,
• The Azerbaijan National Conservatory.

Higher education institutions with partial teaching of individual specialisations in the field of culture, such as the Azerbaijan Architecture and Construction University and the Baku State University, are also in the curation of the Ministry of Education.

Higher education provides the three cycled training based on complete secondary education or secondary vocational education: baccalaureate, the magistrate, and doctorate. Admission to bachelor's and master's degrees programs in higher educational institutions in the field of culture is two-stage. At the first stage, applicants take centralised exams conducted by the State Examination Centre of the Republic of Azerbaijan. At the second stage, the aptitude exam is organised with the participation of the educational institution itself.

Last update: October, 2021

To describe artistic education in schools, we must consider general education schools in which specific hours a week are devoted to cultural education and specialised schools in which some areas of the arts are the priority. The field is regulated by the Law on General Education (№ 1532-VQ of March 29, 2019), the State Standards of General Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (№ 103 of June 3, 2010) and the Model Charter of a Secondary School (№ 5 of January 13, 2011). Furthermore, one of the goals of the State Strategy for the Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (№ 995 of January 19, 2015) is to develop competency-based general education standards and curricula.

Currently, curricula for relevant subjects are being developed. At present, two curricula prepared by the Institute of Educational Issues, under the Ministry of Education, are devoted to arts education: the Educational Programme (Curriculum) on Music for I-IX Grades of Secondary Schools in general education and the Curriculum on Fine Arts for I-IX Grades of Secondary Schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan. These educational programmes provide the teaching of these disciplines for pupils of grades 1-9 of secondary schools in weekly lessons of a standard duration of 45 minutes. The primary purpose of music and fine arts in secondary schools is to ensure that students develop an understanding of arts and culture based on national and human values.

At present, there are 16 specialised schools providing education in culture and the arts at the special secondary level (11 music schools, three culture special secondary schools, a college of art and a dance school) in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Special secondary schools specialising in music (there are eight, including the Music College of Azerbaijan National Conservatoire) train performers in classical and folk instruments and teachers for children's music schools. The College of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts teaches painting, sculpture, carpet making, ceramics, model making, theatre design and the decorative and applied arts. Technical schools specialising in culture provide training in the following fields: culture and arts management, museum management, monument conservation, decorative and applied arts, and librarianship. They also have music departments that train music teachers for pre-school institutions and music schools. The second-level course runs for three years, while the first-level course runs for four. Some specialised schools offer both as a continuum; for example, the Secondary Special Music School, named after Byulbyul of the Baku Academy of Music. Training in these institutions lasts 11-12 years. Students who excel are provided with free tuition in the form of receive scholarships.

Last update: October, 2021

Since the introduction of three-levels of education in Azerbaijani universities, courses last between 4-6 years, depending on the level (bachelors, masters and PhD), per the Bologna process. Some of the courses are fee-paying, others not. Students who achieve good results qualify for scholarships.

The Baku Academy of Music, named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, is accepting students for bachelor’s degrees in instrumental performance (piano, organ, harpsichord, orchestral instruments, solo singing (academic vocals), Conducting (choir conducting, opera-symphonic conducting, and conducting wind orchestras), Composing, as well as Musicology. Master’s degrees are available in two areas: 1) theoretical master's degree (Musicology) and 2) speciality master's degree (Instrumental performance, solo singing, conducting and composing). In addition, doctoral education in the assistant intern, postgraduate, and dissertation forms are also available at the Academy.

The State University of Culture and the Arts runs courses for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in relevant specialities in culturology, music, cinema and television, theatre, and painting. Additionally, special Registration, Evaluation and Monitoring divisions operate under the Department of Teaching Organisation and Quality Assurance of the University.

The Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts offers courses on painting, graphics, sculpture, architecture, decorative and applied arts, theatre design, the history and theory of the performing arts, interior design, carpet design, advertising and model making. The Academy has a 4-year bachelor's degree, a 2-year master’s degree, and postgraduate research programmes.

The Azerbaijan National Conservatory offers higher education in National vocal, Mugham (khanende-singer), Instrumental mugham, Folk musical instruments, and General piano; the faculty of History offers courses in the History and theory of music, History and theory of national music, Orchestration and conducting of folk musical instruments, as well as, Social sciences.

The Faculty of Architecture of the Azerbaijan Architecture and Construction University trains bachelors and masters in Architecture, Design and Urban Planning for various fields of the construction and design sector of the country. In addition, doctorates are offered for such research directions as architectural theory and history, restoration and reconstruction of monuments, architecture of buildings and structures, urban planning, settlement planning and landscape architecture.

The Baku Choreography Academy is the countries only training school for ballet and folk dancers. The Academy provides general education, secondary specialisation and higher education programmes in the Art of choreography, Ballet pedagogy, Ballet artist, Ballet history and other specialisations. Bachelor’s and master's degrees are offered in specialities of Choreography (classical dance, choreography, national dance, modern dance, ballet director), Dance teaching, Art history, Management (producer), Music teaching, Folk instruments, Theatre studies, Design, and Directing. In addition, research in choreography, theatre art, music art, art theory, analysis and criticism are conducted at the doctoral/dissertation level.

The Faculty of Librarianship and Information of the Baku State University is the only higher education centre that offers graduate courses for librarians and bibliographers. Bachelor specialists of higher education are trained in the direction of Librarian-bibliographer and Publishing and editing. Training of specialists to Master’s level is carried out in four specialisations, such as Library science, Bibliography science, Formation and use of the library fund, Publishing and editing.

Last update: October, 2021

Children's music, art and painting schools are state institutions that form the artistic and aesthetic taste of children, adolescents, and youth and provide culture and art education. Schools offer primary and secondary education in music, painting, and choreography, forming their aesthetic taste based on the best examples of Azerbaijani folk, classical and world culture, and art. They create conditions for discovering the abilities of children, adolescents and youth and the development of their talents. The period of study at the schools is 4, 5, 7 and 11 years. Thus, the most talented and capable students are admitted to secondary and higher education institutions in relevant specialities to continue their education.

Music is taught in children's music schools, painting in painting schools, music, painting, and choreography in art schools. The following departments operate in schools accordingly:

• music: piano (piano-jazz, synthesizer), string instruments, wind and percussion instruments, folk instruments, singing, vocals, pop singing, choir, as well as theory, composition and jazz-improvisation as a speciality class in 11 years of education, choir conducting, et cetera;
• painting: painting department;
• choreography: choreography department.

The schools have a theory department for solfeggio and music literature. This department may include music literacy and music listening, choir, harmony and other related subjects.

Music and art schools are state-funded. However, in addition to the state plan, the school can provide paid education in various specialities.

The Development Programme for Improving the Activities of Children's Music, Art and Painting Schools in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2009-2013, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers Decision (August 27, 2008), aims to improve organisational and infrastructural provisions in this field. As a result, schools are provided with musical instruments, hard and soft equipment, books, CDs with performances by well-known composers and musicians, and other necessary equipment for each new school year.

The Ministry for Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan launched the Educational portal of children’s music and art schools in 2017. The portal contains information about the country and world composers, notes of their works, the activities of the education system in the field of music in our country, teaching in music and art schools, and the rules of admission to schools. In addition, video materials about master classes, methodical aids, and information about musical instruments are also available on the portal.

The new Children's Schools of Music, Arts and Painting Model Regulations was approved by the Decision of the Board of the Ministry for Culture on November 8, 2018.

Table 4:           Children's musical, art and painting schools in the system of Ministry for Culture at the beginning of the 2019/ 2020 school year

Source: The Ministry for Culture, 2021; The State Statistical Committee, 2021.

Last update: October, 2021

Article 24 (“Additional education”) of the Law on Education (2009) states that additional education is an integral part of continuing education and vocational training. It provides access to continuing education for every citizen who has a state certificate of completing higher, secondary, or vocational education stages. The additional education system aims at developing human potential and raising and improving academic and vocational training. In addition, it supports adaptation to constantly changing and updated working conditions, ensuring the active and effective participation of older citizens in the country's social, economic, political, and cultural life.

Additional education is carried out in professional development and retraining institutions, relevant structures established in educational institutions, internships, vocational training courses, and other institutions licensed to operate in this field. “The Model Regulations of training and retraining institutions” (1997) and "Rules for the content, organisation of additional education and the issuance of relevant documents to persons trained in any area of additional education" (2010) were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

In this regard, several educational institutions provide all or some kinds of additional education, vocational and professional training such as professional development, retraining, internships and staff development, repeated higher, secondary specialisation and higher technical vocational education, upgrading and adult education. For instance, The Baku Academy of Music, The Baku Choreography Academy, The State University of Culture and the Arts offers vocational education and training on the arts with introductory and main educational courses in relevant specialities.

According to the Law on Culture (2012), training qualified personnel in culture and raising their professional level are among the main directions of state policy. Generally, the Scientific-Methodical and Professional Development Centre for Culture under the Ministry for Culture provides vocational education and training on culture, cultural policy and arts. This Centre was established based on the merger of the Scientific-Methodological Centre for Cultural Studies and the Republican Centre for Training and Retraining of Employees of Cultural Institutions with the Decision of the Cabinet of Ministers on November 16, 2018. The Centre, which has 94 staff members, is a scientific institution that serves the implementation of state cultural policy, protection, development, promotion of cultural heritage, support for scientific development, the study of international experience, and the development of culture in general.

The Centre also organises professional development courses for employees of cultural institutions within the system of the Ministry for Culture. These courses improve the professional skills of directors of cultural centres, theatre and concert hall managers and staff, librarians, and staff of museums, children's music and art schools, cultural associations and centres, art galleries, etc. Professional development courses are organised based on new training modules to increase human resources in culture. The curricula are based on knowledge and skills of specialities, creativity, innovation of cultural workers, laws and concepts in culture, state programmes, new approaches to cultural institutions, international experience and teaching new practical principles.  In carrying out its activities, the Centre closely cooperates with all cultural institutions of the Republic, provides scientific-methodical and practical assistance to city (district) cultural institutions, and regularly organises training, seminars and master classes.