Dimitri Shashkini: We Prepared Good News for Entrants from the Next Academic Year

6 December, Newspaper “24 Hour” - Nino Kancheli 

Educational reform continues in Georgia with success. The aim of the reform is to build better educational system and give ability for future generations to receive better education.  Country tries its best to increase the educational level.  Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia has made changes to the rule of the national examination system. The purpose of the changes is to create comfortable environment for students. About successful reforms and future changes, spoke Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mr. Dimitri Shashkini.

Mr. Minister, how you will rate the ongoing reforms in the educational system?

The ongoing and effected reforms give us the right to say, that educational system is moving in the right direction in our country. After National examinations, students deliver in universities with their own talent, hard work and knowledge. High School exams motivated children, Resource officers service make schools more safe, new national curriculum significantly improved the quality of education – 2011 years statistic of qualification and national exams approves it. After procedure of changing school textbooks with the improved quality books, reduced the price. According the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Georgia’s research, Georgia is one of the most successful countries, where access the education is very high.

What significant reforms will be implemented next year in the education system?

We prepared good news for the future students for next year. Often children and their parents wrote us on the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia’s and on my Facebook page, that the national exams results were declared very lately. Their notes were fair, because the announcement process were too late every year.

What was the reason of delaying National Exams results?

National Examination Center really needed two moths to state education grants and declares financing results. The reason for this was the process of secondary enrollment. As you know, in 2001, the students had opportunity to choose from 7 specialties. If student would pass the minimum competency level, but with the collected points could not enroll in chosen universities, had opportunity to took part in the process of secondary enrollment.  This secondary enrollment process made the process delay.

What goals set the Ministry to correct this issue?

From 2012, the students will have opportunity to choose from 20 different specialties instead of 7.  This new approach provides a wider choice for the prospective students, though they will be enrolled at the respective universities based on the primary choice. Final results of the exams will be announced earlier, on 25^th of August, which will make the whole process less stressful both for the parents and entrants.

What else you offer next year for entrants?

A new rule will regulate enrollment of the students at higher professional educational programs (IV and Vth levels). The entrants will pass the general ability test and later will be able to select their specialties.

Next year entrants will have opportunity to register for national exams with filling electronic registration form at home and choose desired faculty.  

Beginning next year, the minimal competency level for medical and law faculties will be increased with 10%, for foreign languages 30%.

Why these changes only apply for medical and law faculties?

Law and medical faculties are regulated professions in the world. A lawyer protects human rights, the doctors hand is human’s life. Therefore its particularly important highly trained staff. Unfortunately, society still has old stereotypes and a lot of people desire to become a doctor or a lawyer.

What’s the purpose of submission of the history of higher medical institution?

National exams are very important mechanism, which gives opportunity to check entrant’s basic skills. Only general abilities cannot check the knowledge of the entrants. Children gain necessary knowledge at school. Professional doctor can not be formed without the chemistry and biology. The necessary skills can not be checked with only exact and natural sciences.

There have been questions about students mobility’s, what kind of news are planned on this direction?

According to the new mobility rule, the students who study at the faculty of History, for example, will not be able to transfer to Medical faculty until they pass the fourth exams at the unified national exams in the respective subject. Nevertheless, credits accumulated during the studies will be retained to the students as part of the mobility scheme.

How you get this decision?

This decision was made after 3 month consultations with experts. The scientists recognize that medical faculty student must have the ability to explore the natural and exact disciplines and it’s the truth.