On the Knowledge Day, September 15, which marks the beginning of a new school year in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony for a secondary school in Zabrat settlement near Baku.

President Ilham Aliyev cut a ribbon symbolizing the opening of the school, and then addressed the teachers, pupils, parents and other residents of the settlement gathered in front of it.

“I’ve just been acquainted with the school; it has nice classrooms, computer rooms, a library, gym, big conference hall, and what we want is that every school in Azerbaijan be like this one” the President said.

He said construction of the school is the result of implementation of the special program for socio-economic development of Baku suburbs adopted after his meeting with government in last November.

“You know that the State Program for Development of Regions has been successfully implemented over the two years and a half. The problems of Baku city and its suburbs, however, then remained a little aloof, and I decided that a special program for socio-economic development of the settlements around Baku should be adopted…“ the President said.

Speaking of the increasing economic growth in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said: We should convert these material values to the human capital, because a knowledge and abilities are what defines peoples future, and strengthening the intellectual potential of a nation, serves its all-round development.

The President pointed out that the revenues from oil and gas sector should be invested into humanitarian fields, education, healthcare and modern technologies.

“Our children should extend their knowledge, follow the processes taking place in the world and be attracted to the new technologies. This is why the program of equipping schools with computers was adopted two years ago,” the Azeri leader said.

“My desire is that children study well in this school, and teachers educate the children well. You should be healthy and worthy citizens of our Motherland to lead our nation in the future,” President Ilham Aliyev concluded.

The 1176-seat school is a three-storied building with 70 classrooms, 3 science labs, conference halls, a 300-seat assembly hall, library, gym, volleyball ground and other facilities. The electronic computer system first ever applied in Azerbaijan, allows experts of the Education Ministry to interfere the teaching process at any time to evaluate its level by questioning teachers and pupils. It also permits to send the information on whether pupils entered or left the school building, on their grades and the teaching process to their parents’ cell phones. Through the system, teachers can download films, texts and other educational materials to present them to pupils, organize videoconferences, competitions and so on.

The building is provided with an individual heating system.

Construction and equipment of this modern school came to nearly $2,6 million.