Azerbaijan’s pre-primary expansion: a lesson in access, not a shortcut

When education systems talk about early years, the argument often jumps straight to quality: curriculum, language development, play and skilled teaching. Azerbaijan’s experience begins with a more basic question. Is there a place for every child at all?

A new country case study in UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report describes a rapid expansion of free school-readiness classes for five-year-olds. It is an encouraging story about political commitment and practical delivery. It is also a reminder that a dramatic rise in enrolment does not, by itself, prove that every child is receiving a complete or inclusive early-education experience.

What changed in Azerbaijan?

In 2011, only 36% of Azerbaijani fourth-graders had previously attended preschool, according to the evidence assembled for the UNESCO case study. The country faced a shortage of facilities, with three quarters of residential settlements lacking provision, and pre-primary education had suffered from fragmented responsibility and limited resources.

The response was a national school-readiness programme for five-year-olds. Rather than waiting for a new nursery building in every settlement, the programme used existing primary schools and their teachers to provide free, daily classes. A pilot ran from 2008 to 2012; after preparation and support from UNICEF and the World Bank, the government adopted a 2016 resolution to scale it nationwide.

The results were swift. Participation one year before the official primary-entry age reached 92% in 2021 — near universal access in just five years. The number of schools with school-readiness groups rose from 100 in 2012 to more than 5,000 in 2023. The number of children in those groups increased from 12,000 in 2016 to 107,000 in 2021.

Why the expansion was possible

Three design choices stand out. First, the government made the programme its own. Funding for early childhood education became a distinct budget item in 2015, and spending rose from AZN 94 million in 2012 to AZN 171 million in 2015. The state covered 98% of the costs of pre-primary provision for five- and six-year-olds, including tuition and learning materials.

Secondly, Azerbaijan used capacity that already existed. Existing primary teachers were trained to deliver the new classes; more than 10,000 teachers had received training by 2017. The number of teachers was not simply multiplied overnight, but people already working in the public system were supported to take on school-readiness teaching.

Thirdly, the reform gained a legal and administrative spine. Azerbaijan introduced a preschool education law, admission procedures, standards for children with disabilities and a national information system. Responsibility moved towards the Ministry of Education, with a central admission portal and more consistent oversight.

Where the numbers need careful reading

Near-universal participation for five-year-olds is significant, but it does not mean universal early education from age three. UNESCO reports that the largest increase came from school-readiness groups for five-year-olds, while participation among younger children remained lower. Pre-primary education is not yet compulsory because not all schools have the space to offer the classes.

The case study also records pressure created by speed: classrooms that were not designed for the programme, an overloaded curriculum, limited materials and high child-to-teacher ratios. A separate study found that teacher capacity remained insufficient despite strong motivation and dedication.

Inclusion is another unfinished part of the story. Azerbaijan has adopted legislation and a programme supporting inclusive education, but UNESCO says implementation for children with disabilities remains limited. A place in a mainstream class is not the same as a genuinely accessible, well-supported learning environment.

What can England learn — and what should it not copy?

There is a useful lesson here for any education system trying to widen access: make the entitlement clear, fund it consistently, use local capacity intelligently and track whether the provision reaches children outside major towns. Azerbaijan’s programme also shows the value of treating early education as a public responsibility rather than leaving families to navigate a patchwork of availability and fees.

But the lesson is not “put preschool classes into primary schools and the problem is solved”. Local housing, teacher supply, space, curriculum and disability support all matter. UNESCO’s wider conclusion is more cautious: large-scale progress usually comes from a coordinated mix of policies, sustained investment, capable institutions and adaptation to context. There is no off-the-shelf international model.

For parents, the practical point is simple. When a child starts school, ask not only whether a place exists, but what the transition looks like: how much time is available for language and play, how adults support different needs, how families are involved and what happens when a child needs more help. Access opens the door. Quality and inclusion determine what happens next.

A strong first step, still a first step

Azerbaijan’s school-readiness programme shows what can happen when a government sets a clear early-years priority and builds delivery around real constraints. Its 92% participation figure deserves attention, especially because the expansion reached rural and urban communities more evenly than the older system.

It also deserves scrutiny. Fast growth can expose weak infrastructure, stretched staff and gaps in inclusion. The most useful international comparison is therefore not a league table. It is a question: which parts of this reform addressed the problem that Azerbaijan actually had, and which parts would need a different answer elsewhere?

That is a good question for families and education leaders in England too — and for anyone thinking about the foundations children need before they reach Key Stage 1.