Gov’t Makes Sweeping Changes to Textbooks for 1-6 Graders

(TBILISI) – Georgia’s Ministry of Education opted to make sweeping changes to all course books used by the country’s first through sixth graders that will cost GEL 23 million from the state budget.

The ministry and lawmakers claim that the new books will be in-line with modern demands and European standards and will raise the motivation of children to study harder.

The switch will begin next year for primary school students, with changes to the school textbooks from seventh through twelfth graders coming in the next few years, the government announced.

Teimuraz Murgulia, Deputy Minister of Education, says that current school textbooks for 1-6 graders are "very hard” and sometimes discourage students from studying.

The head of Parliament’s education committee, Mariam Jashi, says the books will radically differ in terms of content and design.

“The printing of new school textbooks will start in April 2018… By September, the students will have absolutely different, very interesting textbooks,” said Jashi.

Some critics of the decision argue that there is little time for producing textbooks in line with European standards.