Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 28 2007

Debates to be carried out on dropping Article on veil from draft bill
on education of Azerbaijan

[ 28 Dec 2007 16:42 ]

Azerbaijani Parliament debated first reading of draft bill on
education at the meeting today, APA reports

Shammsaddin Hajiyev, chairman of the parliament’s standing commission
on science and education stated that this draft will be considered as
frame bill on education in Azerbaijan. Beside this, 10-12 bills on
education are planned to be adopted. Head of commission stated that
many illicit education enterprises functioned in Azerbaijan by now
and stressed that such situations will be prevented with the help of
newly adopted bill. Ogtay Asadov basing on his long speech,
interrupted Hajiyev and discussions began after that.
MP Zahid Orujov compared the adoption of bill with Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and stated that he believes mostly to the solution to
Nagorno Karabakh conflict that adoption of bill. Touching upon the
Article 11.1.8(prohibition of teachers and students’ wearing veil in
all education enterprises of the Republic of Azerbaijan), he stated
that this article should be dropped from draft bill. MP Jamil Hasanli
stated that serious measures are taken on education and stressed that
there are shortcomings in this sphere. MP paying main attention to
corruption said that there is bribery in education enterprises of
Azerbaijan. He stated that increasing salary of educational servants
is important.
MP Siyavush Novruzov touched upon the issue on veil first.
`I am against of students and teachers’ wearing veil. But at the same
time I support dropping this article from the draft bill. This issue
should be solved on the level of leaderships of higher and secondary
schools. The law shows that pupils finishing secondary school with
golden and silver medals are admitted to higher schools at once. This
is very abnormal case, nobody has forgotten who were awarded medals.
Number of candidates of sciences, professors is more than students in
this country. And it is not right,’ he said.
Ogtay Asadov commenting on the speeches of parliamentarians said that
he supports dropping article on veil from draft bill. He said that
Education Ministry should define this issue. Gudrat hasanguliyev
commenting on the issue stated that ignorance is imported to
Azerbaijan under religion from foreign countries.
Parliamentarian said that dropping article from the draft bill may be
great failure of supporters of secular state in Azerbaijan.
`We should not go far, let’s glance at places which are sensitive
from religious point of view. For example: Nardaran is out of state
control. Girls are already not sent to schools in several regions of
Azerbaijan, they are married in 13-14 age. Radical reforms should be
carried out in education, state educational enterprises should be
privatized,’ he said.
Vice-speaker Bahar Muradova said that laws show that education is
secular in Azerbaijan.
`This issue is yet being discussed, the result of it will be known at
the end. Liberal values should be preserved, extremism should be
eliminated in education,’ she added. /APA/