Activities in the field of general education are established in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Education” and “General Education”, other laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, decrees and orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, resolutions, and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Regulations on the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, orders, decrees, and board decisions of the Ministry of Education and other normative documents.

General education serves the following principles:

• To educate an independent, creatively minded citizen and personality with a healthy lifestyle, modern worldview, high culture, and intelligence, who realizes its responsibility to the Azerbaijani state, respects the national and moral values, traditions and universal values, human rights and freedoms of the Azerbaijani people, is faithful to the ideas of Azerbaijanism, and is able to make independent decisions;
• To ensure the acquisition of systematized knowledge, skills, and habits;
• To prepare students for social life and productive work

1,503,754 students study in the state language - Azerbaijani. Education in 4073 (91.96%) schools is conducted only in Azerbaijani, in 17 (0.38%) schools in Russian, and in 6 (0.14%) schools in Georgian. 0.2% of students study in other languages (English, Turkish, French). Education in 305 (7%) schools is Azerbaijani-Russian, in 12 (0.7%) schools is Azerbaijani-Russian-English, in 3 (0.07%) schools is Azerbaijani-Georgian, in 1 (0.02%) school is Azerbaijani-Russian-Georgian languages. 

The study of minority languages is envisaged in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Therefore, minority languages such as Lezgi, Talysh, Hebrew, Avar, Sahur, Udin, Kurdish, and Khinalig are taught in secondary schools in a number of regions of the country. Lezgi language is taught in 95 schools, Talysh language in 254 schools, Avar language in 19 schools, Sahur language in 3 schools, Udin language in 3 schools, Kurdish, Khinalig, and Hebrew languages in 1 school each. In total, 29,942 students belonging to national minorities learn their mother tongue in schools.

Students graduating from general secondary and complete secondary education are issued a certificate of general secondary education and a certificate of complete secondary education. Graduates who complete general education with special achievements are awarded a certificate of distinction or a special sample certificate. The certificate is a state document on general education and is the basis for continuing education at the next level or starting a job.

Classes in secondary schools start on September 15 and end on June 14 (in preschool groups, classes start on October 1 and end on May 31). 

More than 600 school buildings have been built, reconstructed, or overhauled in the last five years; and since 2003 the number of such schools has reached more than 3,200.

On March 29, 2019, the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On General Education” was adopted. “Model charter of general education school” was approved by Resolution No. 5 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated January 13, 2011. “State standard and programs (curriculum) of general education” was approved by Resolution No. 103 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. dated June 3, 2010.

One of the goals of the “State Strategy for the Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan” approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 24, 2013, was to develop competency-based general education standards and curriculum. In this regard, an improved version of the “State Standards of General Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan” was developed and approved by Resolution No. 103 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated June 3, 2010. It was renewed by Resolution No. 361 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated September 29, 2020. Currently, curricula for relevant subjects are being developed.