Newspaper   “Kviris Palitra”  

21-28 February

Prestigious Faculties will not be financed

Author: Izo Rikadze

Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia constantly provides news for teachers, students, schoolchildren and their parents. Minister Dimitri Shashkini paid an official visit to London, UK and returned with news:

Currently we have up to 900 textbooks in the market. Up to 20 textbooks exists for the same subjects that contribute to chaos and confusion. Schoolchildren use one textbook for one academic year, another year they have to study from different book. From March 1, we are going to introduce new textbooks. The rule of approval of the textbooks will become stricter, as our goal is to select the best textbooks. From I- VI grades, the schoolchildren will study with the series of the books drafted by one author or the group of authors. Approved books will remain unchanged for five years.

From the next academic year, learning English Language will become compulsory from the very first grade, there will be 12 levels in English Language and therefore 12 textbooks will be developed. Teachers will have opportunity to give homework to their schoolchildren from the very book that matches their level of competence. Classes will be divided into : “strong “and “weak” classes.

I respect our specialists of English Language, though I strongly believe that Oxford or McMillan publications are in better positions to develop English language textbooks for us. McMillan publication has a strong experience in elaborating the textbooks for those schoolchildren whose second language is English. The problem was the high cost of the book- 16 GEL.  In the market their cost amounts to 40 GEL. Therefore only elite schools were able to use these textbooks in learning process. Last week we signed a memorandum with McMillan publication in London, publication was held accountable that each book would cost no more than 10 GEL.  It is also very important that McMillan publication will provide all Georgian teachers of English Language with textbooks and supplementary literature (maps, audio and methodological manuals), teachers will also be trained free of charge. Government of Georgia will not allocate money for this.

You have also announced that Georgian government would not be spending money on bringing native English speakers to Georgia, though the project cost is 10 million GEL.

I did not say that government would spend money on that. I stated that we did not pay native English language teachers, though we provided them with air tickets and that costs money. If we were about to send one group of Georgian teachers abroad for training, it would have cost us $100 000. So you can judge which option is better.

It is very good that the learning of English language is enhanced, but what about the state language? Chamber of Georgian Language was abolished when Kakha Lomaia was a Minister.

I cannot evaluate the taken decision. I can only tell you that the division of Georgian language was formed under the Ministry, standard of Georgian language and learning methodology was developed for the first time in Georgia. The same division also elaborated textbooks of Georgian Language as a Second Language and supplementary materials for non- Georgian citizens.  Special program was created for them - presentation of this program will be held within a month.

In order to enhance learning of Georgian Language, all Russian language schools in Tbilisi have adopted bilingual learning. This means that 1/3 of the programs at these schools are offered in Georgian. In the next academic year, about 2/3 of the programs will be bilingual.

Special program was operating for those teachers who teach in non- Georgian regions, this program was closed down.

From 2010 we run the program” Teach for Georgia”. Amount of those teachers who teach in non- Georgian regions have been doubled. Salary of those teachers who teach Georgian language in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli amounts to 1000 GEL.  In November 2011, a construction of Georgian school will be finished in Akhalkalaki, Georgian language learning center will be opened there and both schoolchildren and their parents will have opportunity to study Georgian language.

We know that the rule on awarding the state scholarship has changed. In 2011, the students who will be enrolled at Law, Health Management, Business Administration, Mass Communications/ Journalism, International Relations and Public Administration faculties will be financed only in case they receive a 100% state grant. Georgian government will finance the studies in other fields with 100%, 70%, 50%, and 30% state grants. This change has caused controversy.

This new rule will work for those students who will become students in 2011. When we were studying this issue, we have found out that for the last 5 years, 85% of the 12 million GEL was spent for financing of the programs of Law, International Relations, Business Administration and Medicine. Engineering, Tourism and Natural Sciences practically remained without finances.

For example, Law was the most popular specialty at Agrarian University. About 65 % of the students didn’t master Agrarian specialties. Therefore we have a deficit of Engineers, Physics and Mathematics specialists.

Law and Medicine were popular during the Soviet period. Back then it was impossible to imagine that engineer could be a successful person as he/she had a low salary. I also thought that I would be successful if I became a lawyer. Today we have quite a few lawyers. Therefore, Engineering and Natural Sciences should be encouraged. I wish my children choose these specialties.