Is it possible to live the same schedule in different ways?

To wake up at seven o’clock, have breakfast, go to school, and return from school … Is it familiar to you? It is a daily schedule of Azeri school children. It is possible that he or she could not wake up at seven o’clock, or push the button “off” of the alarm clock or throw it out of the window and fall asleep again. But ... usually we don’t like to be late for the school. I usually prefer to sleep more instead of having my breakfast. As soon as my parents call me, I wake up, quickly dress up and run to my school.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the concept of traditional school uniforms disappeared in Azeri schools. But beginning from this year, with the decision of our Minister of Education, we go to school in school uniforms.

Although our daily schedule may seem the same, we spend it differently referring to our interests and traditions.

For example, Togrul Huseynov, the student of piano class in Musical School named after Bulbul, likes classical music, especially enjoys listening to works of Beethoven. He works hard on his studies. At the same time, he is going in for swimming. He reads a lot and likes to read the pieces from Djalil Mammadguluzade, prominent Azeri write, and Lev Tolstoy from foreign literature. He thinks that it would be better for school children to be engaged with sport, music and modern technology, rather than computer games.

Shahin Yagubzade is the singer of national music and wants to represent Azerbaijan mugam (national music) in the world. He also learns the skills of music composing and even composes short pieces. After school, he goes to play football. Shahin does not like drawing and labor subjects. He thinks that there should be an opportunity for them to make an individual choice between these subjects. So that everybody could go to the creative clubs which they prefer.

Shahin says that if he had a chance to meet with Austrian and Lithuanian students, he would like to show then national cuisine of Azerbaijan. He would present them national meals such as, plov, dolma, piti and sweets like shakarbura, pakhlava, gogal. “Probably, they haven’t tasted these wonderful meals. It is true that I am not familiar with their national cuisine and culture as well, but mutual acquaintance would be useful for both sides”, he says.

Turkan Musayeva studies in the class of musical theory. Turkan would like to know whether the Europe has public schools which provide the education in music and common school subjects at the same time.

Turkan is not satisfied with the level of education which she receives in her school. She thinks that this is the reason why school students spend most of their times to the preparation courses or private tutors.

Farida Asgarova is also a school student and likes to read book and play volleyball in her leisure times. She is worried about why the Russian language is not taught in current school. Playing chess is one of favorite hobbies of Nigar Suleymanova. Nigar likes the gymnastics as well.

Besides, she is interested in rock music. But she also says that she respects mugam, jazz and other genres of music.

After school, Nuray Rahanli spends her time with her friends. She enjoys walking in beautiful places, especially in seashore together with her friends. She thinks that the Caspian Sea gives special beauty to Baku. She likes shopping a lot. “I do not miss the discount season in Baku and closely aware of such places where large discounts are offered”, she says. She wants to see more dance, music and drawing clubs in Baku. Nuray thinks that it becomes more difficult to enter to universities and the number of young people without high education increases. She is also concerned about the few number of newspapers and magazines for the young people in Azerbaijan.

Nicat Macidov thinks that the interest to private and paid schools has increased in our country. To provide their children with high quality education, parents put their children to paid schools in which the main language is not native language but for example, English or Turkish. She would like to know whether European schools have such problems and what measures are taken to avoid such cases.

The eleventh year student Leyla Muradzade likes to obtain information from different sources, analyze and make conclusions out of it. She has interest to write stories, although it is hard for her to find time for it. She wants to become a designer and learns new computer programs.
School student Murad Masimov likes to play the guitar, billiard and create web sites. He would like to see more computers in schools and modern equipments in gyms of schools.

The editor in chief of the wall paper of her school, Nazrin Rahimli likes the history very much. Because in this subject, she learns about interesting historical events and monuments, as well as follows the development stage of music and literature. She reads many newspapers and magazines and wants to become a journalist in the future.

The student of the eighth grade Shafiga Hasanli is a member of dancing group in the Child Theater. She says that she made her first performance when she was only 2. At that time, the stage was very cold and there was a big audience. “At first, I was afraid to go to the stage, but later I got used to it. Now, I do not get so much nervous and it seems very interesting to me”, she says.

Although Azeri school students get the education in accordance with the same curriculum and program, they have their own interests, talents, hobbies and habits. They would like to show the history, traditions, mugam, dances and cuisine of Azerbaijan to their peers living in Lithania and Austria. They would like to discuss problems, how to solve them and share experience with them.

What about you? What would you like to share with us?

Arzu Hasanli,
11th year student in Baku Ataturk Lyceum

qaquka@gmail.com