Azerbaijan to resume full-time in-person education

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Azerbaijan will resume full-time in-person education in schools and universities, the country's education minister told reporters Tuesday in a news conference in the capital Baku.

The primary school students will start the new education period on Sept. 22, while the secondary and high school students along with university students will start their classes on Sept. 29, Emin Amrullayev said.

He underlined that the number of students attending lectures at universities will be limited, and the attendance of about 50-60 students will be allowed at face-to-face lectures.

"The ministry is against lectures in universities in large auditoriums and in this regard, rules are being developed," he said.

He stressed that the education staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit a certificate of contraindications.

The minister also urged all students to be vaccinated, adding that in case of rejecting a coronavirus jab, options, such as distance learning and academic vacation may be implemented "to attract the student to learning."

"We are discussing this issue with universities and recognize the right of students to get an education, but we don’t see a problem in vaccination among the young people," Amrullayev said, noting that detailed information on this matter will be provided later.

"We strongly recommend that everyone gets vaccinated. If there is no serious reason, then this must be done," he said.

The Education Ministry also announced that the entrance to Azerbaijani schools will be restricted for those with a body temperature over 37 degrees Celsius.

On March 2, 2020, the country adopted a resolution on the suspension of in-person education and implementation of measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 infections.