Weak reading comprehension hinders broader student achievement

Persistent deficiencies in reading and textual comprehension remain a critical hurdle within Azerbaijan's educational system, directly undermining student outcomes across other academic disciplines, Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev stated during the unveiling of the PISA 2025 international assessment outcomes.

The minister observed that while high-performing cohorts in reading literacy expanded to 0.2% nationwide and 1.2% in Baku, the baseline proportion of low-scoring students remains disproportionately elevated. Curvilinear improvements in reading literacy, he noted, represent the single most viable lever for improving aggregate educational attainment.

Addressing nationwide pedagogical reforms, Amrullayev underlined that teacher certification has comprehensively covered the instructional workforce for the first time. However, he emphasized that substantive structural reforms require extended gestation horizons, forecasting that the tangible performance dividend of certification will fully manifest in international benchmarking across the 2030–2035 cycles.