Georgian Education Minister resigns
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Friday, November 8
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Mikheil Batiashvili resigned, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated about it at the meeting of the government yesterday.
Gakharia noted it was Batiashvili's personal request to resign, confirmed in a later statement from the former minister himself.
The PM did not name Batiashvili's replacement.
The former education minister announced that he will stay in the field.
Batiashvili also told the reporters that the ministry might be re-divided. According to him, the aforementioned division may occur in 2020.
After the government session was over, former minister Batiashvili said he made the decision to resign for "personal reasons" and expressed great hope for his resignation not to lead to further political speculation.
He also noted that he had active consultations with the PM in this regard.
Various opinions regarding the causes of Batiashvili's resignation have been voiced. Batiashvili said that sending a lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg should not be linked to his resignation.
As Gotsiridze noted, whether or not Mikheil Batiashvili is a minister, Kerzaia’s case will still be investigated.
“Of course, Mikheil Batiashvili was removed. Have you ever seen a minister who resigned voluntarily? Such things happen rarely. Perhaps one of the reasons could be that his position as Minister after the European Court of Human Rights had already received the case of Ia Kerzaia would continuously be under attack.” – announced UNM leader.
Ia Kerzaia, the principal of Zugdidi Public School N6, who died under suspicious circumstances. She revealed the pre-election pressure during the 2018 presidential election and died on December 2 of that year after being hospitalized with a stroke diagnosis.
Ia Kerzaia's health deteriorated after a school inspection by the Education Ministry's inspection team. The inspection entered the school on November 9. The Ministry of Education claims that the study was launched based on a citizen's application and revealed "various serious violations," including administrative and financial activities, as well as sanitation and hygiene. The ministry emphasized that Kerzaia remained in the position of headmaster.
The principal’s son, lawyer Bachana Shengelia, said his mother had been offered work in favor of the Georgian Dream many times before inspection and was threatened with dismissal after she refused.
On December 24, Shengelia issued an anonymous letter, which insisted the school be inspected. Shengelia was interrogated at the Chief Prosecutor's Office on December 25. On February 8, the education minister said he did not know who was the author of a letter submitted to the Ministry of Education on the case of Ia Kerzaia. According to Batiashvili, their responsibility is to verify the facts in the letter and not to identify the true author of the letter.
11 influential MEPs have addressed a letter to the government from various parties urging Ia Kerzaia, former principal of Zugdidi Public School # 6 to investigate the case.
On August 23, the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia suspended the investigation into the death of the headmaster of Zugdidi 6th school for "no crime." The agency said it had not been confirmed that there was ill-treatment of Ia Karzaia.
Shengelia appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. According to him, he sent the case materials to Strasbourg, which he won through a year of struggle with the help of friends, the media and NGOs. On November 6, the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights registered the aforementioned lawsuit. According to Shengelia, Batiashvili’s resignation is in connection with his mother’s case. In an interview with TV First, Shengelia said that preparation for Batiashvili's resignation had been going on for a long time and he was aware of this information.
Shengelia explains that, on the other hand, it is simply not logical that the minister, who presented a long-term development plan a few months ago, suddenly resigned.
"He was just forced. He couldn’t be left, it was like a sword of Damocles for the current government," said Shengelia.
According to Gia Volski, the leader of the parliamentary majority, linking the resignation of Batiashvili from the post to the case of Ia Kerzaia is political speculation.
Speaking to reporters, Volski responded to the opposition's assessment, noting that leaving the post of the minister does not mean avoiding responsibility.
Volski also commented on the possible division of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. He said it is important to make a rational decision that does not require financial costs.
