Georgian Association of School Administrations says in-person studies should be mandatory despite pandemic

“In-person studies should become mandatory in schools despite the coronavirus pandemic, as the hybrid teaching model is ineffective”, said the Georgian Association of School Administrations (GASA).

While discussing the impact of the pandemic on the general education system in Georgia, Director of the First Classical Gymnasium Tamar Kapanadze said that the hybrid model creates a chaotic situation.

School students have the right to choose in-person or remote studies at the beginning of the week, which means that schedules change weekly. We [the Georgian Association of School Administration] ask the Education Ministry to change the existing rules and make in-person studies mandatory for children”, reads an official statement of GASA.

GASA says that school students involved in remote studies do not receive a quality education.

Starting February 2021, the Ministry of Education allowed children and parents to choose between in-person and online studies.

GASA officials say that as Georgia allows vaccination for ages 12-15, children should be vaccinated and continue in-person studies in a safe environment.

UNICEF Education Officer Maia Kuparadze noted that teachers and children ‘are grappling with the challenges of remote learning’.

Kuparadze said that UNICEF recommends that digital learning programmes be introduced in schools, which should be accessible not only to children, but also to their parents.