By AZE.US
A proposal to move the start of classes at schools in Baku and Absheron from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. is drawing mixed reactions, with supporters citing children’s sleep and opponents warning that overcrowded schools could remain open until late evening.
Parents interviewed in an ITV television report differed over the idea. Some said a 9 a.m. start would give children more time to wake up, eat breakfast and prepare for the school day. Others said the existing schedule makes it easier to take children to school and arrive at work on time.
Later Start Could Mean Later Finish
The main obstacle is the shift system used by schools in densely populated parts of Baku and Absheron. Some schools operate in two or even three shifts because they do not have enough space to accommodate all students at once.
An education expert interviewed by ITV said a later start should be linked to the construction and opening of additional school buildings. Reducing the number of shifts would make it possible to delay morning classes without sending other students home late at night.
Under a one- or two-shift arrangement, classes could finish at about 6 or 7 p.m., according to the assessment cited in the report. At heavily overcrowded schools, however, moving the entire schedule back by one hour could extend the final lessons until 8 or 9 p.m.
That means an extra hour in the morning for one group of students could produce a longer and later day for another.
Would It Reduce Traffic?
Supporters have also suggested that staggered school hours could ease Baku’s morning congestion. The report, however, did not present calculations showing how much traffic would be reduced or whether the new school rush would simply overlap with other journeys.
The effect would depend on school locations, parents’ work schedules and public transportation patterns. Azerbaijan’s 2025-2030 state program for Baku transport already calls for considering flexible schedules at government agencies, educational institutions, medical facilities and other organizations.
Parliamentary Committee Member Urges Study
Ceyhun Mammadov, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Science and Education, said the consequences should be studied comprehensively before school hours are changed.
He said decisions should reflect the circumstances of individual institutions rather than being applied without regard to their operating conditions. Similar proposals arise regularly, he added, but require detailed planning and practical measures.
Existing national standards recommend that classes at general education schools begin at 8 a.m. Previous official explanations have also said individual schools may determine their starting time through a decision of their pedagogical council.
No nationwide decision to move classes to 9 a.m. has been announced.
AZE.US