Private sector maternity leave supplement doubled, school teachers to receive full amount

Employees of the private sector in Georgia will have their maternity leave supplement doubled to ₾2,000 ($734) starting in January, while public school teachers will receive full pay during their maternity leave starting next year, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili announced on Monday.

The education ministry budget will increase by ₾400 million ($146.80mln), the PM told the meeting, adding the government would also "apply more than ₾150 million ($55mln) for financing education".

In other reveals, Garibashvili also announced a new programme for building and renovating kindergartens across the country, with the initiative to run in three phases. The first stage, starting on January 1, will involve ₾100 million ($36.70mln) spent for the purpose, with the full expenses of the programme reaching ₾1.3 billion ($0.48bln).

Renovation and construction of 500 schools is planned for next year, while 885 kindergartens need rehabilitation in the country, the government head noted. "The future generation of our country, our children should grow up in a healthy, really good environment. We should start this from kindergartens, then in schools and higher education institutions", Garibashvili said.

In addition, the PM announced more than ₾30 million ($11mln) would be allocated to setting up computer laboratories at schools.