It is predicted that the transition to a distance education model will be implemented in schools with a low number of students starting from the next academic year.
This raises a number of questions. For instance, can the distance education model be applied to other schools as well?
Education journalist Məzahir Məmmədli answered the questions of AzEdu.az.
He stated that society will not face a serious problem regarding the transition to distance education:
“Regarding distance education, Azerbaijan already tested this model during the pandemic. Even before the legislative framework was fully formed, relevant instructions were given to educational institutions, and the relevant bodies of the Ministry of Science and Education created electronic cabinets for teachers and students using electronic support mechanisms. Conditions were created for the continuation of the educational process via Zoom, Teams, and other platforms. I believe that the results of the State Examination Center also proved that Azerbaijan successfully passed this test during the pandemic.”
Precisely for this reason, society will not have a serious adaptation problem regarding the transition to distance education:
“We have already passed this adaptation phase. The transition to distance education can also contribute to solving a number of existing problems. Until now, one of the main issues causing legal disputes in Azerbaijan has been the non-recognition of diplomas of individuals who received distance education.
“Most of these types of court cases resulted in rejection decisions. That is, a person received distance or online education at recognized universities abroad, but could not get that diploma recognized in the country. After the amendments made by the Milli Majlis to the “Law on Education”, I believe that such legal disputes will be put to an end and the issue will find its legal resolution.”
He also emphasized that there is no need for widespread implementation of distance education in schools:
“In my opinion, there is no serious necessity for the mass implementation of distance education in general education schools. Approaches are being voiced regarding the distance teaching of some specialties and subjects in higher education. However, I do not believe that distance education will be widely implemented in general education schools unless a necessity arises.”
Nevertheless, he did not rule out the possibility of distance learning in certain cases:
“In order to prevent congestion in the city, it may be possible to teach some humanitarian subjects remotely in general education schools. However, I do not think this will be implemented suddenly and on a mass scale. This approach could be a model that primarily covers the capital and can be implemented as a pilot project.
It is possible to organize many subjects in higher education in a distance format. This can lead to both a reduction in congestion at universities and the elimination of traffic and urban movement overload.”
After concrete decisions are made regarding distance education, it will be possible to analyze the topic in detail:
“After decisions are made, it will be easier to study and analyze the mechanisms of distance education. Currently, we can only wish for this process to be somewhat accelerated and expedited.”
