Saakashvili calls the new exam system “social justice”

President Saakashvili has called the new national examination system an example of “social justice”, stating that no matter who your parents are or what kind of links you have, these will not help you pass your university entrance exams.

“When they ask what the Rose Revolution has done – did it give us only the police, building facades or roads? - I think the most important thing it has created is social justice and justice itself. It does not matter who your parents are, what kind of links you have, if you can pass the exams you will do it yourself and no one will help you if you can’t,” Mikheil Saakashvili stated at a meeting with head of the National Assessment and Examination Centre Maia Miminoshvili, who reported the results of the 2009 national examinations.

An examples of social justice the President gave was the fact that Miminoshvili’s own son failed his Masters examination. The President said this was a perfect example of the equality of the system because Miminoshvili had copies of the tests in her home and could have shown them to her son to help him pass but did not do so. “I understand perfectly that it is not pleasant for a mother [to see her son fail] but I am proud of this fact. You could have shown the tests to your son but did not, which means that no matter whose son/daughter you are, if you do not have knowledge you will fail,” the President told Miminoshvili.

Miminoshvili said that according to preliminary data 20,500 applicants out of 28,948 have become students. Another 5,000 students have qualified to take secondary exams for 7,000 further vacant places in accredited universities. Prospective students may file applications to take these exams from August 21 to 31.

The NAEC registered 800 complaints. Some tests were corrected, but in general, the examinations were conducted successfully.

The President thanked the NAEC chief for her successful work. “All Georgians should be proud of you and the work of your staff. Neither Ukraine, Russia nor any other former Soviet state has a similar system of examinations,” the President said, adding that it’s time for the tests to be printed here in Georgia as the country has the resources.

The President thanked Miminoshvili and all the staff of the National Examination Centre for their “historic activity.” “This country relies on you and people like you. I thank you for what you accomplish so successfully,” Saakashvili stated.

The President was interested in knowing if there were any procedural violations during the examinations, the number of appeals against the results, the level of school leavers’ preparation etc. The President advised future school leavers to study natural sciences, as professions in this field will pay more than those of lawyer or financier.