There are a number of “education experts” who try to gain fame by using various social platforms and spread false information to parents, as well as students.
These so-called experts are not seen throughout the academic year, only appearing when the admission season begins, confusing public opinion with inaccurate and sometimes completely unfounded claims about exam processes.
How should parents and students choose the right specialist for admission issues, what criteria should they use to distinguish whether the information presented to them is reliable, and in general, what indicators should determine the real professional training and experience of the person expressing an opinion in this field?
According to education expert Elchin Afandiyev (Afandi), who gave a statement to AzEdu.az on the topic, unfortunately, various specialists who are not related to the field of education, especially on the eve of exams, appear like mushrooms after rain and mislead people:
“We, both parents and those working in this field, feel the negative consequences of this. Sometimes statements are made that have no correspondence with reality. Unrealistic and false ideas are widely spread. For example, it is claimed that everyone who scores 60 points can be admitted to the design specialty. However, this is not true. 60 points may only be enough to be admitted to the competition, but this score may not be sufficient for admission.
Another piece of false information is that supposedly applicants who took the exam on previous dates (for example, March 5, 9, or 15) can participate again in the graduation exam to be held on April 19. This is also completely unfounded and untrue information. Such information is mainly intended to attract the attention of parents and deceive them.
So who spreads such information? Unfortunately, individuals who present themselves as “education experts” or “education specialists” but have no specialization or serious experience in this field. Some are bloggers active on social networks, while others are people who have studied in completely different fields. They have neither full information about the admission program nor knowledge of the “Law on Education” and “Law on General Education”. Nevertheless, they speak on various platforms and voice false and misleading ideas.
This ultimately leads parents to make wrong decisions. Therefore, parents should be extremely careful in this matter.”
It is important that individuals expressing opinions in the field of education have at least a specialization appropriate to this field:
“This can be education management, education administration, or other relevant fields. For example, a political scientist can express general opinions about the state's education policy, but it is not correct for him to give a detailed and professional opinion on admission programs or education legislation.
At the same time, a person who has studied journalism can convey information in the field of education to the public, but this does not mean that he acts as an expert on specialization, admission rules, or legislation. Also, it is not considered a correct approach for individuals who have studied in technical fields to present themselves as education experts.
Parents should take into account that a professional specialist does not only mean a diploma. Many years of experience in this field, at least 10-15, and ideally around 20 years, also play an important role. In addition, these individuals must have a deep knowledge of admission exam programs, education legislation, and the operating principles of the general system.
For example, posts with titles like “passing scores announced” are often shared on social networks. However, in reality, passing scores are not announced in advance. They are only formed as a result of the competition. The shared figures are mostly indicators from previous years and are presented incorrectly.
For this reason, parents should choose their information sources correctly. It is preferable to give priority to the statements of official bodies and the opinions of well-known and reliable specialists. Especially, it is more appropriate to trust specialists who appear on state television and in mass media under official control.
As a result, parents should stay away from individuals who spread misleading and unfounded information and rely only on reliable and professional sources when making decisions about their children's future. This is extremely important both for guiding students correctly and for improving the overall educational environment.”
