Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee for Sciences and Education Bakhtiyar Aliyev opened the committee meeting held remotely on 8 October by introducing the agenda and saying that the two sets of draft amendments (both in the first reading) to the Education Law and the Vocational Education Law were complementary to each other. Both suggest legislative consolidation of the credits system in vocational and tertiary education, consequently aligning the national education structure with the European Credit Transfer System and thus facilitating recognition of diplomas by academic institutions.

Head of the Social Legislation Department of the Milli Majlis Staff Adil Valiyev told of the empirical legal basis for the proposed amendments and addenda as he was presenting them. Mr Valiyev said that the currently effective legislation holds that those who completed tertiary technical vocational education and been awarded their sub-baccalaureate professional qualification degrees are equalised with those sub-bachelors who completed secondary special education. Besides, they are legislatively authorised to enrol at tertiary educational institutions. Therefore, it is proposed in the amendments that the baccalaureate (both secondary special and tertiary technical vocational) studies should be based on the credit system with universities eventually taking into account the credits that their would-be students have accumulated in their selected baccalaureate fields of specialisation.

Bakhtiyar Aliyev, his deputy Musa Gasimli and the Committee members Etibar Aliyev, Eldar Guliyev, Parvin Karimzade and Kamila Aliyeva commented on the Bill. They found it utterly commendable that sub-bachelors should be entitled to complete secondary education and enjoy facilitated transition to the baccalaureate as their next education pillar. The proposed amendments will enhance citizens’ rights to education, give them greater choices and make tertiary education more accessible and the tuition process uninterrupted, the MPs were saying. The amendments envisage the alignment of major sub-baccalaureate programmes with the tertiary education counterparts, which is going to let sub-bachelors complete tertiary education sooner. The Committee members said they thought that the legislative amendments would boost the interest in vocational training and ensure its progress. They also pointed at the importance of taking note of the labour market’s requirements and future needs, and of considering them in vocational training eventually.

Both Bills were cleared for the first reading at a plenary sitting of the Milli Majlis.

The Committee members Ulviya Agayeva, Tamam Jafarova, Rafael Huseynov, Anar Isgandarov, Aghiya Nakhchivanli, Shahin Seyidzade and Fatma Yildirim as well as Deputy Chief of the Milli Majlis Staff Yashar Amashov and other officials were also taking part in the meeting.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis