Azerbaijan to accelerate construction of new schools — minister

Azerbaijan has made the construction and modernisation of school infrastructure one of its top priorities in recent years. Education Minister Emin Amrullayev said this during parliamentary debates on the 2026 state budget.

According to the minister, 364 school buildings were constructed or fully renovated across the country between 2021 and 2025. The scale of infrastructure projects has grown significantly compared with previous years.

Amrullayev noted that the number of schools in emergency condition has decreased by about 3.5 times over the past five years — from nearly one thousand previously to around 400 today.

However, more than 400 schools still require major renovation or complete reconstruction, and this remains one of the priority tasks for the coming years.

School infrastructure is being restored in parallel in the territories liberated from occupation. The minister said that since 1 August 2025, 104 educational projects have been completed in these areas, 20 new schools have been built, and repair works in several others are nearing completion. In total, more than 100 educational institutions have already begun operating.

Amrullayev emphasised that the growing number of students is putting additional pressure on the country’s education infrastructure.

He added that more efficient school design models will be applied, especially in small settlements.

“When designing schools in smaller communities, we must consider the projected growth in student numbers over the next 20 years. More cost-effective yet high-quality infrastructure models are needed for such areas,” the minister said.

N. Tabrizli