The State, Primary Education, and Nation-Building in Azerbaijan

Abstract

This article explores the nation-building narratives in the primary education system in Azerbaijan in terms of existing legislation, everyday practices at schools, and the content of textbooks. To achieve this aim, legislative guidelines and regulations, everyday practices obtained through personal observations and social networks, and the "Azerbaijani Language" and "Life Knowledge" textbooks for the 1st-4th classes are explored. The article then divides the main narratives into categories such as the description of national characteristics and history, military element, and loyalty to the current government in power, analysing each of them. The study argues that rather than civic virtues, the volume of content that serves militaristic nationalism and regime consolidation is more significant in the nationhood narratives promoted through the primary education system.