Currently, education reforms are being carried out in Azerbaijan in a phased manner. Optimization in governance and efficient allocation of resources are on the government's agenda. In this regard, the merger of various agencies can be considered as an option.
Deputy Elchin Mirzabayli stated this in a statement to Modern.az.
According to him, the management of vocational education and higher education are essentially different:
“Higher education is more closely linked to academic and scientific directions, while vocational education is closely related to the labor market, production, and technical fields. Therefore, even if there is a merger, the independence of special units within the structure must be maintained.”
The deputy noted that if a merger occurs, it could have both positive and negative impacts on the education system:
“On the positive side, management could become more centralized, coordination could be strengthened, and resources could be utilized more rationally. Also, transition mechanisms between higher education and vocational education could be formed more flexibly.
On the negative side, there is a risk that vocational education might remain in the shadow of higher education institutions. This is because public opinion and priorities are often built around higher education. In this case, the development of vocational education could be relegated to the background. This contradicts the real needs of the labor market.”
Elchin Mirzabayli added that the experience of developed countries also shows that vocational education is a field requiring special attention:
“The sustainability of the economy and the provision of qualified personnel for the industrial and service sectors are mainly built upon vocational education. The development of this field not only prevents youth unemployment but also meets the demand for mid-level skilled specialists. Therefore, vocational education should be valued not merely as an addition to higher education, but as a strategic direction.”
Finally, E. Mirzabayli emphasized that such a merger is possible, but for it to be successful, vocational education's separate management mechanism, resources, and priorities must be preserved:
“Otherwise, instead of yielding results, structural reform could produce an adverse effect.”
Education expert Elshan Gafarov, however, stated that the statute and structure of the Ministry of Science and Education are determined by the relevant decree of the country's President dated July 24, 2023. In that decree, the structure of the Ministry of Science and Education was defined with four agencies. The merger of these agencies is not currently a subject of discussion.
“If we monitor the activities of the agencies, we can observe very serious financial and management problems in their operations. The main reason for this is the appointment of individuals unrelated to education to functional positions. Here, we can partially refer to the State Agency for Science and Higher Education.”
He noted that the appointment of individuals unrelated to education to functional positions in agencies does not mean the abolition of those agencies:
“Overall, there is a personnel problem in our education system. People who are connected to this field through education should be involved. As long as we view this field through a business lens, we will encounter problems. The same situation exists in the State Agency for Preschool and General Education. Special attention should be paid to the vocational education system. This is the case everywhere in the world.”
