Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the opening of a new building of school No. 124 in Baku on Knowledge Day

- Dear children, teachers and friends!

A new academic year begins today. I heartily congratulate you on this occasion. You guys are starting the academic year in this wonderful school.

This is a beautiful and memorable event. This is a wonderful school, it is pleasing to the eye, it is very comfortable, spacious and has all the conditions and opportunities for studying. I remember visiting here two years ago and becoming acquainted with the old school. I saw that this school had no future, was in poor condition, remained unrepaired for many years, and therefore it was decided to build a new school. This school is three times bigger than the old one. More than 1,500 children will be studying here. There are comfortable and spacious rooms and corridors here. There are perfect conditions for teachers here. I am sure that the results here will be good, because the great schools built in the country in recent years have improved the quality of education.

On the eve of the new school year, I visited more than 20 schools of Baku. I am personally acquainted with the repair and construction work. I can say that all of the built and renovated schools are at the highest level. This year about 30 schools have been renovated and built in Baku. In the country as a whole 178 schools have been renovated and built this year. This process continues successfully every year. Over the past decade, 2,900 schools have been built and overhauled in the country. In general, there are 4,500 schools in our country. But there are still schools in need of repair, including those in Baku. But their number is reducing. In Khazar District there is only one school without repair. The renovation of this school is scheduled for the next academic year and there will be no schools left in Khazar District without renovation.

This is a very important issue because children need to study in good schools and teachers should teach in good schools. The working conditions of teachers should be good as well. The construction of such schools, of course, indicates the strength of our state. Developing Azerbaijan pays great attention to education today. State policy is conducted. First of all, there should be solid material and technical infrastructure of the education system. I don’t think such wonderful schools are built in any other country, especially now when some countries are experiencing crisis and economic hardships.

The attention being paid to the social sphere and education in Azerbaijan is always at a high level. Our main aspiration is to improve the quality of education. A big role in this, of course, is played by the reforms. These reforms are carried out. I am confident that in the near future we will see great results. The quality of the educational process is also very important. A special place here belongs to the training of teachers. Of course, children need to do well too. They need to understand that their future is in their own hands.

The dynamic development of our wonderful country today, the creation of jobs and new production facilities certainly opens up extensive opportunities for every citizen. People possessing deep knowledge can secure themselves a good place in life. Therefore, doing well at school is, on the one hand, a contribution to the future of the country and, on the other, important for everyone. People with a good knowledge of can find a good job, earn a good living and better serve their country and people.

Therefore, children need to understand and know that their future is in their own hands. And teachers, of course, need to give children a good education. At the same time, children should be brought up in the spirit of patriotism. Our young people grow up in the years of independence. Everyone sees the benefits of independence. Only by being independent does the Azerbaijani people and our state develop dynamically. Independence is our biggest happiness and the greatest treasure. The successful future of our country, of course, depends on the intellectual potential of society, and if we look at the experience of developed countries, we can see that it is the countries where attention is paid to education, science, and technological progress that are developing.

Our advantage lies in the fact that Azerbaijan is rich in natural resources, has a diversified economy and conducts an elaborate public policy. Azerbaijani citizens are at the center of the state policy. Great attention is being paid to the social sphere.The attention being paid to science and education in Azerbaijan will definitely yield fruit. We have a high level of literacy. There are no illiterate people. This is a great blessing. But latest technologies are applied today. And children need to know this. The development of science and education will ensure the sustainable development of our country. We have a strong economy, strong political will and wonderful young people who are playing a role in the development of our state today. As I said, our young people should be brought up in a patriotic and national spirit.

The world is in the process of globalization now. This has both negative and positive sides to it. I want our children to grow up in the national spirit and to be attached to the motherland and the people, to be committed to their national traditions and to become worthy citizens. To achieve this, of course, families and schools should provide proper training. This wonderful school in itself is a means of education, because students seeing this beauty and cleanness will get used to it and will be guided by these principles later on in life.

I want to say again that the construction and overhaul of 2,900 schools over the past decade is a historic event. Most of these schools were built in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s. Many of them were in very poor condition. Unfortunately, we still have schools in the regions that are in disrepair. But their number is reducing fast. The work carried out by the government is envisaged in the state program on the socioeconomic development of the regions. In particular, the State Program on the development of Baku and its suburban settlements provides for the repair and construction of schools. Under the program, the renovation of all schools in Baku is to be completed by 2016. But I believe that there will be no unrepaired schools left in Baku as early as next year.

Once again, I congratulate you on the construction and opening of the school and the start of a new school year. I wish you every success!

Thank you.