Gov’t to launch authorization process in kindergartens next year
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, November 3
From 2018, public as well as private kindergartens in Georgia will have to undergo an authorization process. The same steps were launched by the Ministry of Education in Georgian schools in 2011.
The head of the Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency, Temur Tordinava, said that from next year, all kindergartens should meet the minimum standards of food, hygiene, education and infrastructure.
“These standards should exist in every kindergarten, no matter if they are public or private,” he said.
Tordinava explained the term ‘conditional authorization,’ which means that kindergartens that do not meet the terms of authorization in some areas will be given some time to eliminate these problems. They will have a conditional authorization before rectifying the problems, and as soon as the given time is over, they will undergo the process again, and if approved, they will have a four-year authorization.
He also added that many kindergartens do not meet infrastructural standards, so the process in this aspect may be postponed until 2020.
“In terms of infrastructure, the kindergartens will be given time until 2020 because the faulty infrastructure might cause closure of many pre-school institutions, as majority of them does not meet the minimum standards,” he explained.
The Head of Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency also spoke about the qualification of teachers in pre-school institutions, adding that from 2024 only persons with higher education will be allowed to teach.
Tordinava says that the status of ‘teacher’ will be renamed ‘educator-teacher,’ and all the teachers will have to undergo relevant training in order to obtain this status and continue working in kindergartens.
He explained that educator-teachers take care of and teach children, while caretakers assist them and help to look after them.
Tordinava says up to 2500 caregivers are working for the Agency of Kindergartens in Tbilisi at present.
“Due to the amendments to the law, we will need at least 1,500 educator-teachers by 2020,” he added.
The head of the agency also stated that the number of children in groups will be decreased in order to better look after them. According to him, by September 2020, the maximum number of children in one group will be 25-30.
At present there could be 40-45 children in one group at a public kindergarten in Tbilisi.
