The European Azerbaijan School (EAS), founded in 2011, is a coeducational day-school, comprising an early learning center, a primary school, and a secondary school (located on a nearby campus) for Grades 5 through 11. EAS is located in the capital, Baku, which lies on the southern shore of the Absheron peninsula, jutting into the Caspian Sea. The educational, scientific, cultural, and industrial centre of Azerbaijan, Baku largely consists of a downtown and the historic Inner City, which houses two UNESCO World Heritage sites: The Chairmanship’s Palace and the Maiden Tower. Baku has hosted important international events including the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, the 2015 European Games and the 2016 European Grand Prix. The city is now preparing to host the UEFA European Football Championship, also known as the Euro 2020.
Azerbaijan, a country with abundant natural resources and well-preserved cultural traditions, gained its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The country is famous for its carpets and decorative arts, and features many ancient customs and ceremonies, monuments, headstones, and manuscripts. Throughout its rich history, Azerbaijan has been the home to many thinkers, philosophers, scientists, poets, architects, musicians and artists. Taking full advantage of the local context, the school says on its website,
“EAS is dedicated to creating a true learning community making full use of its Azerbaijani setting and its global perspective.”
Currently enrolled are 885 pre-kindergarten to grade 12 students, primarily Azerbaijani, with a 5% international population. EAS has a bilingual program, but primary and secondary classes are mostly taught in English. The school is authorized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) to offer the Primary Years Program from pre-kindergarten to Grade 4 and the Diploma Programme in the final two grades. In 2017, the first graduates of the Diploma Programme headed off to universities in Canada and Europe. EAS is planning to also seek authorization for the IB Middle Years Programme. In the meantime, the school offers the International General Certificate of Secondary Education in Grades 8 and 9. Thirty percent of the 123 teachers come from the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. EAS is currently organizing its self-study for the accreditation process, before hosting a Council of International Schools (CIS) team visit, scheduled for the fall of 2019.
The school’s state-of-the-art campus includes modern and well-equipped science labs, top sports facilities—including a swimming pool and gymnasium—a modern theatre, a fully-equipped computer lab, music and art rooms, a spacious library, and a large and comfortable dining area.
In addition to mandatory swimming lessons once a week, EAS offers its students over 40 clubs to join, including classes in six different musical instruments. Club activities include sports, dance, art and design, language, math, logic, Legos, and board games. Some groups even meet on Saturday.
EAS is interested in hiring singles and couples and would consider couples with non-teaching spouses. They would also consider exceptional newly certified teachers, those certified in non-English speaking countries, and outstanding, experienced teachers lacking certification. Candidates need not hold their academic degree in the subject they will be teaching, and there is no age limit to obtain a work visa in Azerbaijan.
The EAS benefits package includes a non-taxed salary, settling-in and shipping allowance, a fully furnished apartment, and round-trip airfare every two years. The school also covers worldwide health insurance and 100% tuition for up to two children. At the end of each contract, EAS pays 2% into a teacher’s retirement plan. The school provides staff professional development as well. All this means an opportunity for savings or a chance for a family of four to live on one salary.
To gain access to European Azerbaijan School’s full profile on the Search Associates database, including a list of all open positions, candidates can apply for membership by clicking here. Candidates already registered can easily access the school profile directly through their dashboards.
Please note: The information presented about this school was valid on the date published. This information may change, and the most up-to-date information can be found on the school profile.
