Education system problems discussed at CIPDD

The Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD) has hosted a discussion on the Georgian education system. Representatives of schools, NGOs and the Education Ministry talked about improving education quality and making the system transparent, democratic and available.

The participants of the discussion claimed that there is no clear strategy for how and when education quality will be improved and that school infrastructure is poorly equipped to promote such improvements. “The responsibilities of the schools and the State are not oriented on producing tangible results,” CIPPD representatives claimed.

“Concentration of public demand and interest on this issue, just as there was during the reform of the Unified National Exams, is needed to tackle this problem,” former Education Minister Gia Nodia said.

The sides touched upon the issue of introducing teacher certification exams, as a means of helping improve the education system. These exams could help raise the motivation of the teachers, as well as the students, participants suggested. Another issue discussed was giving quality marks to schools which would indicate what that school focuses on primarily – whether it is pupil-oriented, arts and culture-oriented or something else.

Representatives of Georgia’s regional schools underlined the necessity of creating regional boards close to the schools as a part of a decentralisation of power. Parents and pupils could apply to these boards in case of problems at school, they noted.