Gov’t Announces Education Reform, Vows to Accomplish It
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, September 17
The Georgian Dream government presented the strategy of the education reform, which they hoped to change the situation in terms of education in the country, starting from preschool to higher and vocational education.
The Georgian Dream government has been promising vital changes for education since coming to power in 2012, however, no systemic reform has been implemented so far.
Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze vowed on Friday in Ikalto, Kakheti, on the area where the first Georgian academy was founded in the 11th century, that his government will accomplish the education reform.
“In autumn of 2019, we will present a legislative package that will be a very important task. Education will become dominant in our economy, ensuring that at least 10-11percent of GDP will be spent on education,” Bakhtadze said.
Bakhtadze, with new Education Minister Mikheil Batiashvili, stated that new learning models, will be initially implemented in 50 public schools and the number of such schools will grow to 2,000 by the year 2023.
He said that the education reform will cover all five directions in Georgia: preschool, general, vocational, higher education and science.
PM Bakhtadze said that 10,000 teachers, teachers for children with special needs among them, will receive boosted salaries in 2018-2019.
Batiashvili stated that the average salary for teachers by 2022 will reach 1,500 GEL, while teachers with higher qualification and certification will receive 2,000 Gel.
Batiashvili claimed that a new model of general national exams will be established by 2020, referring to the exams for higher education.
The opposition is less optimistic to the government promises and says that they have already heard about fundamental education reform several times from different prime ministers of the ruling party.
