Last year, among the discussions held in the field of education, the issue of teachers working on a full-time basis and an 8-hour working day held a special place. This is because the discussion revolves around calculating salaries not only based on the hours taught, but also on the total working time a teacher spends at school. The proposal was that teachers, like employees in other sectors, should operate on an 8-hour working day. Based on international experience, I would also like to emphasize that in most countries, teachers' activities are regulated by an 8-hour daily work schedule, typically following the 08:00-17:00 or 09:00-18:00 principle.
Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev also stated in his remarks last year that the “full-time teacher” model should serve to make teachers feel like full-fledged employees at school.
In this context, one of the main questions of interest is when the “full-time teacher” model will be implemented. Although the Minister did not announce a specific date for this, he noted that work on the concept was ongoing.
In a statement to Modern.az regarding the topic, Vasif Gafarov, a member of the Science and Education Committee of the Milli Majlis, stated that this model is currently on the verge of transitioning from the conceptual discussion phase to the practical implementation phase.
“I believe that the implementation will be carried out in stages. A more appropriate approach is to first test it in selected schools in a pilot project format, and then, after improving the regulatory and legal framework, calculating the financial burden, and evaluating the infrastructure capabilities of schools, transition to large-scale implementation.”
The deputy also emphasized that a realistic approach suggests that the full implementation of this model across the country may not occur in a short period, but rather be carried out gradually over several academic years:
“The implementation of this model promises several significant advantages: the strengthening of the teacher's status and their functioning as a full-fledged, permanent employee at school can positively impact the prestige of the profession. At the same time, teachers will not merely be limited to fulfilling teaching hours; they will gain the opportunity to allocate additional time at school for lesson preparation, individual work, communication with parents, monitoring student development, and methodological activities. Furthermore, teamwork, the activities of methodological associations, and experience exchange can be organized more systematically, individual work opportunities with students can increase, and extracurricular development activities can expand. Alongside this, we must note that in an 8-hour working day, a teacher's entire time should not be planned solely as teaching hours, but rather as a structured division of labor encompassing various directions of pedagogical activity.”
The member of the Milli Majlis believes that financial issues hold a special place among the main reasons for the delay in the implementation of this model:
“Because the full-time model requires a review of salary policy and the allocation of additional funds with serious planning from the state budget perspective. On the other hand, it is crucial for all schools to have suitable working conditions, offices, methodological resources, and other organizational capabilities for teachers to remain at school throughout the day, which creates infrastructure and organizational challenges. At the same time, the necessity of making appropriate changes in labor legislation and normative documents in the field of education, as well as the need for broader professional discussion taking into account the opinions of teachers and the public, necessitates the gradual progression of this process.”
V. Gafarov also added that if the “full-time teacher” model is implemented with proper planning and a phased approach, it can positively impact the quality of education. According to him, this process should be carried out systematically and sustainably, not hastily.
For your information, approximately 20,000 teachers are expected to be involved in the "full-time teacher" model.
