"The workload of students should be reduced” - Ilgar Orujov

“There is a need for a number of fundamental changes aimed at reducing students' academic workload. First and foremost, it is crucial to optimize curricula, increase practical sessions, and update the assessment system. These steps can contribute to both the reduction of the academic workload and the improvement of education quality”.

Aztəhsil.az reports based on its statement to Operativ Media.

He stated that, first, the issue of updating educational content and curricula comes to the forefront:

“Here, it is considered appropriate to reduce the volume of materials included in the curricula and to use more concise, integrated materials instead of numerous resources for the same subject. Instead of an excessive amount of theoretical knowledge, strengthening the practical side of lessons can also increase the effectiveness of education. This means that students should be taught not only theoretical information but also the practical application of that knowledge.

On the other hand, strengthening the connections between subjects is also important. Connecting knowledge across different subjects through multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches can make lessons more interesting and useful. This approach helps students assimilate knowledge more easily and apply it in real life.

At the same time, optimizing homework and lesson hours is also an important issue. Looking at international practice, we see that some countries implement the practice of reducing or abolishing mandatory homework in primary grades. This model is considered quite effective in terms of reducing students' psychological stress. That is, the core knowledge students need to learn is assimilated during lessons, and the goal is to avoid creating an additional burden at home.

In addition, optimizing the lesson schedule is also significant. Reducing the number of daily lessons to some extent and increasing break times, for example, implementing 10-minute breaks, can help students learn more comfortably and efficiently.

Another important issue concerns the weight of school bags. Parents frequently complain about students carrying heavy bags, and it is noted that this situation negatively affects children's physical health. In this regard, the implementation of digital textbooks and the transition of textbooks to a hybrid format could be one of the beneficial solutions. This would both reduce the bag's burden and create conditions for the expansion of modern educational opportunities.

Suppose students have a textbook at home, but at the same time, a separate textbook is used for lessons at school. In some cases, a student uses a paper textbook at home, while at school, they use a different or electronic format textbook in class. This approach can be considered significant in terms of reducing the weight of the bag.

On the other hand, the implementation of digital platforms can also play an important role in reducing teachers' workload. Digital systems enable both a more efficient organization of the teaching process and a faster execution of the assessment process.

In general, as I mentioned, updating the assessment system is also one of the fundamental changes proposed in education. Assessment and motivation are considered key factors directly affecting the quality of teaching. In this regard, instead of relying solely on standard test-based assessment, implementing alternative assessment methods based on the teacher's live feedback and the student's individual development within the classroom can be more effective.

Such an approach not only increases students' interest in lessons but also allows for better monitoring of their individual development. At the same time, the application of new teaching methods creates conditions for students to discover their interests and for those interests to be brought to light.

In fact, every student has certain interests and potential within them. The main task is to uncover these interests and develop them. In this regard, the teacher's professionalism and mastery are of particular importance. A teacher's application of an individual approach increases students' motivation and creates conditions for them to approach learning with greater enthusiasm”.