The Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Giorgi Amilakhvari, together with the Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, conducted a briefing on the ongoing reforms in the general education sector, outlining the core objectives and critical components of the initiative. 

Minister Amilakhvari highlighted the revision of national education goals, emphasizing the intent to fortify students' national identity, instill healthy values, and enhance adult awareness of patriotism, Georgian traditions, culture, and family principles. 

He asserted that the reform places considerable importance on teachers' professional growth, with ongoing collaborative efforts to refine the professional development framework for educators. 

The minister also addressed the topic of teacher support, focusing particularly on salary enhancements. He disclosed that the 2024 education budget is set at 2.508 billion GEL, with 160 million GEL earmarked for teacher salary increases. Starting July 1, 2024, teachers can expect an average raise of 500 GEL or more, benefiting approximately 70% of the teaching workforce. 

Additionally, from 2024, a 10% raise is slated for school administrators, while support staff will see a rise in wages ranging from 10 to 50%. 

During the presentation, Amilakhvari delved into the institutional fortification of schools, highlighting the devolution of certain responsibilities to schools to bolster their autonomy in making localized decisions. The central government will retain control over defining educational policy. 

The minister also touched upon the public school principal selection process, noting that while new principals were chosen by trustee boards in 840 schools, some schools faced challenges due to a lack of applicants. A forthcoming competition will provide opportunities for those aspiring to become public school directors, ensuring a fair and inclusive selection environment. Ministerial intervention will be reserved for critical situations. 

Furthermore, the minister underlined the intensive efforts to overhaul the national curriculum, with significant modifications targeting the secondary education level to support students' self-discovery and potential realization. This will include a choice of integrated professional, humanities, and science programs based on students' interests, in addition to the standard curriculum. 

Amilakhvari also underscored the advancement of school infrastructure development. By the directive of Prime Minister Gharibashvili, a 1 billion GEL project is in progress, aimed at the extensive construction and refurbishment of school facilities, ensuring that by the end of 2027, all schools will be structurally renovated. 

For the start of 2024, plans are in place to commence the construction of an additional 75 public schools, with an investment of 700 million GEL. 

The presentation effectively showcased the current state and vision of the general education reform.

Click the link to view the presentation if current reform of general education.