NAEC Staff Report Political Motives Behind Dismissals
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, November 28, 2025
Dozens of employees have been let go from the National Assessment and Examinations Center, a state institution that runs Georgia's major standardized tests. The agency told RFE/RL that it launched a restructuring on October 1 that will end on December 1, but it did not comment on the number of employees dismissed.
Staff members who spoke anonymously to RFE/RL said around thirty people were removed during the restructuring. They believe many of those dismissed had been outspoken critics of the government. One former employee said they had previously received warnings to stay quiet.
The incident follows a series of reported politically motivated dismissals that began after Georgian Dream announced on November 28, 2024 that it would suspend the country's EU integration process. Trade unions and rights groups say more than seven hundred civil servants have since been fired from several ministries under the label of reorganization.
Education expert and opposition figure Simon Janashia wrote on November 26 that NAEC employees were told they could either join protests or keep their jobs. He said the recent dismissals targeted those who chose to protest.
Georgian Dream MP Mariam Lashkhi told Formula TV that she knew of one NAEC employee who had called the government Russian and was being paid without attending work. She said people who believe the government serves another country should not expect to draw a salary from it.
Article 78 of Constitution, a union representing civil servants, said Lashkhi's remarks indicate that political views were the real reason for the firings. The group stressed that public employees have a constitutional right to express opinions and participate in peaceful demonstrations.
In the past year the ruling party has adopted laws that make it easier to dismiss public employees, including changes passed last December that expand the grounds for reorganization and prevent reinstatement even when courts rule in favor of the dismissed worker.
