Teachers’ average salary increases
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, November 4
Georgia’s Minister of Education, Alexander Jejelava, has stated that from the beginning of 2017, the average salary for teachers in Georgia will reach 800 GEL.
The Minister stated that the Government kept its promise over the growth of salaries as the country’s state budget for next year included funds for this.
The average salary for teachers in 2012, when the current Georgian Dream Government took office, was about 220GEL.
The Minister also said there would be changes in the weight of children’s bags from next year.
The Minister, who has promised lighter school - bags, has stressed that the changes would also include amendments in the school curriculum.
“The fact that Georgian schoolchildren’s bags are heavy isn’t only because the books are heavy, it’s also because the schoolchildren have 6-7 lessons daily and consequently they have to carry more books,” Jejelava said.
Jejelava stressed his Ministry was working on changes to the curriculum to make the learning process more fruitful whereas the bags lighter.
Another thing the Minister mentioned was electronic books the children could take to schools instead of heavy paper books.
“There would be a choice; we are thinking the students to have paper textbooks and the content of the textbooks to be copied in electronic books. Students would be able to work in paper books at home and carry electronic ones to school,” Jejelava sad.
Currently, the schoolbags of Georgian schoolchildren weigh 6-9 kg, which is too high compared to young students in Europe, and causes scoliosis and other health complications in children.
In his final note, Jejelava stressed he was very likely to be in the new Cabinet of Ministers.
