Art, Sport, and Illiteracy

A small observational and statistical study shows that a large proportion of people working in sports, music, painting, theater, and other creative fields do not hold higher academic education. This is not an accusation against educated individuals in these fields, but simply a socio-educational reality. For example, when we look at university entrance exam results in Azerbaijan, we see that entrants in specialties such as Physical Education, Painting, Acting, Musicology, and Art Studies are more often those who scored low marks. For this purpose, a special “5th group” has even been established, and for many years this group has been presented as a kind of “refuge for those who cannot exceed 200 points.” In many families there is this attitude: “If a child can’t study, let them go into sports, music, or painting.”

However, in the world, most people who choose these fields are guided by talent, not by a deficit of scores. In Azerbaijan, young people who get 250–300 points and go into such fields are sometimes ridiculed: “With that score, why didn’t you become an engineer, economist, or lawyer?” Whereas society needs not only an intellectual elite but also highly professional musicians, actors, athletes, and painters for healthy development.

The main problem here is that the higher education system applies the same evaluation mechanism even to talent-oriented fields. The success of a wrestler, ballet artist, pianist, or painter is measured primarily by talent, physical preparation, training, and creative potential — not by test exams. In advanced education models around the world, academic performance is not decisive for admission into these specialties; aptitude, portfolio, creativity, and physical indicators are.

For example:

• In Finland and Norway, 70% of admissions to arts and sports faculties are based on aptitude exams;

• In Germany, only 15% of applicants to music academies are required to hold a diploma;

• In Turkey, there is no score barrier for conservatories — the main criterion is audition and performance;

• In Italy, professional sports lyceums balance the academic program with training schedules, and the diploma is only a formal document.

In Azerbaijan, many years ago, the special music and sports schools operated precisely for this purpose. But over time, most of them have weakened in terms of educational quality. Currently, these schools operate under the balance of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, yet their performance indicators remain out of public scrutiny.

Let us admit that our entrance system is also talent-oriented. To gain admission to the faculties we listed, a student often only needs to score 100–150 points above 700. That score is somewhat symbolic. This fact again confirms what we said above: the question of whether an artist is literate or not arises again. Why are people in this field purportedly illiterate, or to what extent is literacy important? Unfortunately, today, when we say “literate person,” we tend to mean someone with a diploma. Therefore, in such cases, we call athletes or certain artists “illiterate.” One might ask: how important is a diploma for a good footballer, pianist, or actor? If they have no diploma, why do we look at them as incomplete, and make them suffer from such problems to get into university? Admission to university demands academic results, but a craftsman (specialist) requires talent.

At this point we must delve deeper into the notion of “literacy.” We have equated literacy with a diploma for years. If we look at the history of culture, lexicon semantics, or the approaches of UNESCO and OECD, we see that the matter is entirely different.

The word “savad” (literacy) comes from Persian and in Arabic means “black writing” (ink), which originally referred to reading the “black writing” → to learn writing and reading. Over time, it also acquired meanings such as “being educated,” “having worldview.” In modern scientific approach, literacy is measured in three stages:

1. Functional literacy — ability to read, write, understand basic arithmetic;

2. Socio-intellectual literacy — ability to analyze, make decisions, and communicate;

3. Emotional and cultural literacy — aesthetics, behavior culture, empathy, and professional skills.

According to UNESCO’s 2023 report:

• Globally, 86% of people aged 15 and over can read and write;

• In Azerbaijan, this figure is shown as 99%, but functional and applied literacy statistics are not recorded;

• Among OECD countries, 63% of those who work in arts and sports fields do not have a higher diploma, but 78% have professional certification, academy training, or creative education.

The essence of the matter is this: the person we call literate may be capable of reading and writing, but not capable of analysis, worldly perception, or individual skill. Likewise, a painter, athlete, or actor without a diploma, yet possessing high intellect, creativity, aesthetic taste, and social impact, cannot be deemed “illiterate.”

But the problem is not in the people — indeed, it is in the system…

• Our assessment criteria in education are not well suited to skills and professions;

• Talent-centered schools operate weakly or not at all;

• The notion of “literacy” is still measured by paperwork and documents;

• Parents, teachers, media, and society reinforce this stereotype.

In short: the issue is not that athletes or artists are illiterate, but that the methods of measuring literacy are outdated and wrong. Talent, hands-on knowledge, and creative capital are also forms of literacy. For example, Messi, Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, Van Gogh — many great figures lacked diplomas, yet they had intellectual prestige. In our country, such persons are stigmatized as “uneducated” when they stumble.

I believe that real reform should begin with these questions:

• Is a diploma a measure of literacy?

• Why is ability-based education weak?

• Why is the quality of vocational schools low?

• Is literacy only about reading and writing?

Let us start with the question: “Is literacy only about reading and writing?” I believe that in society the longest-standing primitive approach is: “A literate person is one who can read and write.” This approach may have been valid during the 19th-century era of mass illiteracy, but in the modern world it is both limited and outdated. More plainly, reading and writing is the lowest level of literacy.

Today in Azerbaijan, about 99% of the population can read and write. But that does not mean that everyone is “literate” in the deeper sense. Many people:

• Read and write, but do not comprehend meaning;

• Cannot analyze information;

• Do not think critically;

• Have no emotional or behavioral literacy;

• Are unaware of cultural and societal knowledge.

They “read,” but are functionally illiterate.

How does such a generation arise?

The mismeasurement of literacy causes the following outcomes: one may have a diploma but lack skills; one may write but not think; one may read but not internalize.

Therefore, modern pedagogy holds that reading is a technical skill, but literacy is about intellectual and social capability.

We return now to our subject: Art and education, or Sport and education — if we label these two fields as “profession and education,” then why can’t they walk together? We must eliminate this. If vocational skill is a talent or hobby, general literacy is a vital component. Suppose an artist captivates people with amazing voice, causing laughter, tears, anger — in a TV program, they should be able to speak well. They should possess certain knowledge in their field. If a top athlete achieves rapid success and earns a dizzying income, they must know how to manage it, have foreign language skills, and abide by ethical behavior. Therefore, vocational professionals should take literacy exams in addition to talent tests. I am not calling them academic exams — but assessments of life skills. In our current exams, particularly for “5th group” students, the questions are much easier than in other specializations — not because academic knowledge is easier, but because the exam is designed to measure minimal life competencies. In these special schools, the subjects, curriculum, and textbooks should be worked out with entirely different methods. It is no coincidence that artists and athletes often meet poverty when they enter professional life — they rely solely on their talent, and in today’s world, talent alone is not enough. In other words, the world demands more: if a person metaphorically “flies” or “swims” — if they cannot when needed, they perish. We must adapt our education system so that specialties and general education go hand in hand.

In this field, how is the situation in the world? One study indicates that only 5.5% of elite athletes complete higher education.
(“Higher education among elite athletes: longitudinal evidence from Swedish Olympic athletes.” PMC)
Another study notes that athletes face challenges in balancing a “dual career” (sports + education).
(ScienceDirect article)

In general, we conclude that not only in our country, but around the world, people in sports and arts tend to have lower levels of formal education, and many are not interested in higher education or treat it as formal. Considering that our society is diploma-oriented, neither parents nor the education system accept their non-degree status. The question arises: why is the level of education among people in these fields low?

• Academic orientation of admission criteria

• Lack of resources

• Cultural stereotypes

• The gap between academic and vocational skills

• School policy and guidance systems

To address these, the relevant agencies should devise a special strategy; we should raise the prestige of specialized lyceums, gyms, vocational schools, supply infrastructure to high standards, so that a child interested in music would not have to move to another institution for education. Or a child who wants to be a footballer should go into a football school; an aspiring actor should attend a specialized art school. Although such schools exist today, their function is unsatisfactory. They require serious reconstruction.

Dr. Şəmil Sadiq, PhD (Philosophy), Associate Professor