Novelties for 2012 year

Newspaper, “Versia” 19-16 December

Novelties will be introduced at all levels of education, including general, higher and vocational spheres.

The following programs/projects and initiatives will be implemented in 2012:

The student employment program will be launched which envisages employing 25,000 students for summer jobs; retraining of the population will be undertaken in 15 cities (Rustavi, Kutaisi, Poti, Zestaphoni, Gori, Khashuri, Zugdidi, Batumi, Tkibuli, Oni, Chiatuta, Akhalkalaki, Samtredia, Ozurgeti, Telavi) in English, computer and professional skills.

The Ministry will also waive the fees for taking national entry exams to students of non-authorized higher educational institutions, and if they pass the unified national exams, the Ministry will allow them to keep their previously accumulated credits. Currently, there are 35 non- authorized HEIs in Georgia and up to 7000 students study there.

Twenty new schools will be constructed, and 100,000 new school desks, 5,000 boards, and 25,000 computers will be supplied to schools.

In addition, three vocational educational (Tbilisi, Ozurgeti, Kobuleti) and two Information centers (Telavi, Zugdidi) will be opened; Technological University will be constructed in Batumi.

To meet the demands of the labor market, the Ministry plans to further strengthen the vocational educational system. Per capita funding system will be introduced to finance the studies of the students at the vocational colleges. Students who come from socially vulnerable families will receive full scholarships from the state.

Sony Corporation will open its community college “Academy of Visual Arts” in Georgia in 2012; this will be the first representation of the Sony community colleges networks in Europe. The college will offer 5^th level of vocational programs and will recruit the entrants from Georgia and other interested countries. Japanese specialist will train the Georgian teachers at the first stage. Student and teachers exchange programs will be also launched.

Programs which support and reward the nation's most successful schoolchildren and students will continue. Teacher salaries will be increased, and the Office of Resource Officers will widen the scope of its activities and will become the member of international association of resource officers.

To facilitate an integration of the national minorities into a society, the Ministry will implement several projects in 2012: among them is “Georgian Language for future Success” program, which envisages sending 500 volunteer teachers in non- Georgian schools. Manual of Georgian language for ethnic minorities will be developed at all levels and will be introduced to the respective schools. Georgian Language Houses will be built in the regions populated by the ethnic minorities.

A new national curriculum will be implemented for grades VII-XII starting in the next academic year, and new textbooks will be also developed; the price of these handbooks will be only 10 GEL. New handbooks will stay unchanged for the subsequent 5 years. Children from socially vulnerable families will get them free of charge.

Instruction in Natural and Exact Sciences will be enhanced at schools, to popularize the science, young scientists will deliver lectures for the schoolchildren, a new subject “Introduction to Natural Sciences” will be introduced at school from the 7^th grade.

The schools will be provided with 900 units of labs as a part of the Einstein Program. International summer schools will be also opened for the schoolchildren.

Along with the Natural Sciences subjects, instruction of the IT technologies will also be strengthened, teachers and school principals will be trained in this direction.

Introduction of interactive learning is one of the priorities of the education reform; new software programs will be developed and incorporated in the learning of all school subjects. 

 E-strategy will be developed which will encompass the following electronic data base: ePeople (human resources management system), eSchool (school  information system); eStudents   (schoolchildren information management system); eROfficers (resource officers’ information system), eAssets (the information system of school infrastructure); eFinance  (monitoring system of school finances); eGIS- (geographic information system); elibrary- library of electronic books); eCatalog (catalog of  educational institutions).

From 2012, “Future Class” (classes with modern technologies) will be opened in 100 schools. The classroom-cabinet will possess unique capabilities. The new technologies that the classroom will be equipped will promote effective learning. Both teachers and students will feel comfortable in the classroom. Almost all subjects will be taught in the multifunctional classroom. A high quality visualization and audio system will provide the opportunity for interactive presentations.

Instruction in the English language will be further strengthened and 1,500 native English speakers will arrive to Georgia as a part of the educational program “Teach and learn with Georgia.” Local volunteer English language teachers will teach English to the schoolchildren of mountainous regions of Georgia. English class-cabinets will be opened at schools and schoolchildren will have opportunity to study in the summer schools in Great Britain and Malta.

All students will be required to pass the exam of English Language (levels: B1, B2) in order to receive a BA diploma.

Funding the studies of the best students for MA programs at the world first class universities will also continue.

Teacher’s Houses will be opened in Kutaisi, Batumi and Zugdidi. The purpose of the Teacher’s House is to serve teachers 24 hours a day, including such support as training programs in professional development and all school subjects. Further uses of the center include financial and legal consultation for school teachers and principals. Presentations and discussions forums on the latest publications of educational literature, model lessons, master classes, and online conferences will all be arranged in this new facility.

Teacher’s salary will be increased in accordance with their qualification, for example: all certified teachers will receive 75 GEL in addition to their monthly salary, teachers who will pass an integrated exam in English and Computer will get 200 GEl as a surplus; mentor teachers will also get a 180 GEL bonus, teachers of Natural Sciences who will be able to pass a practical exam in the respective subject, will receive 75 GEL in addition to their salary.

Teachers who conduct the classes bilingually will receive 200 GEL as a surplus to their salaries, the monthly salary of the participants of the program “Georgia for Future Success” will amount to 1000 Gel, and the teachers engaged in the program “Teach for Georgia” will get 500 GEL.

25 million GEL has been allocated for conducting the scientific research and studies. The contest for the young inventors (“Leonardo Da Vinci) will be further supported by the Ministry.