Today, the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Khatia Dekanoidze, visited an exam center in Tbilisi, attended a registration process and talked with the teachers. The Minister wished the examinees a success and remarked that the supporting teachers’ professional development is the main focus of the current education reform.

The process of exams is administered without complications. Only 8% of the exam takers have not showed up for the exams and only 1 teacher was disqualified from the exam because of violation of procedural rules.

From July 6th, teachers will be taking tests in respective subjects. The first exam will be conducted for Georgian language and literature teachers.

In 2011, 24 000 teachers registered for the certification exams. In 2012, 40 000 teachers got registered. This change was conditioned by number of factors and one of them is raised salaries. Certified teachers get surplus of 75 GEL to their salaries; if teacher passes English language and IT exams, her salary surplus is 125 GEL; Natural Science teachers who pass exam in laboratory field, get salary surplus of 75 GEL; 25 % of certified teachers’ salaries equal to 1000 GEL; Mentor teachers’ salary surplus is 180.