Georgian PM: I do not want to see only elite schools providing quality education in Georgia
The Georgian PM believes that providing quality education will settle the country’s economic problems. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stated today that he does not want to see only elite schools in Georgia providing high quality education.
Speaking at a meeting summarising Georgia’s education reforms Bakhtadze said that all Georgian schools should be able to provide quality education.
He said that only an educated and motivated generation is able to bring genuine progress and develop the country.
With the statement Bakhtadze touched upon systemic changes planned in the education field by the country’s Education Ministry and said that he is sure the changes will fill the gap between the rate of economic development and the quality of education.
Georgian government presented a strategy for Georgian education reform today in Ikalto, in September 2018, where one of the first Georgian academies was built in the 11th century.
He said that currently the Georgian education system fails to respond economic and other challenges the country faces.
We face various challenges: the occupied territories, poverty, infrastructural problems, have hundreds of internally displaced people and are in need of investments. We will be able to respond to the challenges only with educated generation,” Bakhtadze said.
He stated that he “strongly believes” that the Georgian education sector will contribute 10-12 per cent of the country’s GDP.
Bakhtadze said that all the reforms have their supporters and critics and this is natural.
I am sure that we will respond to the critics worthily,” Bakhtadze said.
Bakhtadze spoke about the importance of higher salaries for teachers and further enhancement of inclusive education.
Vocational education and life-long learning is one of the priority areas of our reform. We are introducing a system which will help individuals of any age in getting adapted to the fast changing world,” Bakhtadze said.
Bakhtadze stated that the strategy for the education reform has been developed with the help of local and foreign specialists.
The Georgian Education Ministry has announced plans regarding reforms in the vocational education field. Youth with a diploma attesting to a basic education [completing only nine grades at schools instead of 12] will be able to study school subjects in parallel with receiving a vocational education.
In terms of general education changes include supporting teachers and their professional development, better quality books for students and development of their creative thinking, as well as introducing modern technologies in schools.
The Government of Switzerland has allocated $6 million dollars to Georgia, which will be invested in agriculture and vocational training programmes.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and Education Minister Mikheil Batiashvili have presented a strategy for Georgian education reform today in Ikalto, in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia, where one of the first Georgian academies was built in the 11th century. PM Bakhtadze stated that new learning models will be initially implemented in 50 public schools and the number of such schools will increase to 2,000 by the year 2023.
Between September 2018 and April 2019 853 prohibited items have been seized from pupils in different schools of Georgia, the Georgian Ministry of Education told the IPN news agency.
The EU and the government of Georgia have launched the second phase of the Skills4Jobs programme in Georgia that will assist 105,000 Georgians find jobs by expanding high quality vocational education, improving labour policies, and supporting entrepreneurship training, the EU in Georgia reports.
Salaries of vocational education teachers will ‘significantly increase’ and those working full time will receive about 1,800 GEL ($625) monthly, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated earlier today.