Georgian to be taught in Greek schools

Georgian, one of the world’s most ancient languages, will be taught in selected grades and public schools in Greece.

Greek students in the first through sixth grades will be able to learn Georgian language thanks to a special pilot program that the Ministry of Education of Georgia created for Greek public schools.

The pilot program launched yesterday at 50 public schools in the Greek capital of Athens.

Throughout April and May, the Georgian language will be taught twice a week in the schools mentioned above.

The program will fully be launched in September when the new academic year starts.

If the pilot program is successful, Georgian language will be considered to be taught in higher grades as well.

A similar pilot program is planned to be launched in the Greek port city Thessaloniki.

Around 200,000 Georgian citizens live in Greece, says the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Diaspora Issues.

Mostly these are migrant workers, the majority of whom live in Athens, Thessaloniki, Nafplio and the island of Crete, said the Office.

In a 1989 population census, around 100,000 Pontic Greeks were found to be living in Georgia, the majority of whom repatriated after the fall of the Soviet Union.