Georgian Education Minister Fires Senior Officials
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, September 12
Georgia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Mikheil Batiashvili fired two of his deputies - Temur Murgulia and Lia Gigauri and other senior employees, saying changes are necessary to improve the education system in the country.
“Improving education quality and its accessibility are one of our main priorities. For the development of our country, it is necessary to create a competitive education system in line with the modern demands, for which many important reforms are planned. Accordingly, this process needs new energy, new visions, and new staff too,” the minister explained.
According to Batiashvili, he also dismissed Head of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, Tamar Sanikidze, Head of the National Assessment and Examinations Center, Maia Miminoshvili, Head of the National Center for Teacher Professional Development, Giorgi Machabeli and Director General of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, Manana Mikaberidze.
Temur Murgulia was appointed on his post in 2016. However, another Deputy Minister Lia Gigauri had been at her position since 2013.
As for Tamar Sanikidze, she used to be the Education Minister in 2012-2016. She had been serving as dismissed Head of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement since June 2016.
Former Head of the National Assessment and Examinations Center, Maia Miminoshvili, held her post in 2002-2007 and again from October 2012 up to September 10. In 2007 she was even appointed as the Minister of Education and Science for some time.
Giorgi Machabeli had been serving as Head of the National Center for Teacher Professional Development since 2014, while Manana Mikaberidze, ex-Director General of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation served only one year.
Minister Batiashvili underlined that staff changes would continue.
