Within the framework of a joint project of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, the Government of Estonia and the United Nations Children's Fund, primary school teachers, administration representatives and education system staff will be trained in the methods of distance learning.

The project, which will be implemented in 100 public schools throughout Georgia, and aims to improve one of the best practices in the world - by sharing Estonian experience to improve the quality of education of students and train representatives of the education system.

The presentation of the project was held in the building of Public School №186, which was attended by the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Ekaterine Dgebuadze, the Ambassador of Estonia to Georgia, Rina Kalieurand and the UNICEF Representative, Ghasan Khalil. At the meeting, the parties informed the school administration and teachers involved in the project about their future plans, held a discussion with them and inspected the newly built school.

Furthermore, Ekaterine Dgebuadze addressed the audience, thanked the Ambassador of Estonia and the UNICEF for the fruitful cooperation and focused on the implementation of a new project to ensure quality education for young people.

Ekaterine Dgebuadze: “Today an especially important project was presented, which will help train qualified personnel in the education sector, develop their skills and deepen their knowledge. In cooperation with the Government of Estonia and the United Nations Children's Fund, several important projects have already been implemented in Georgia to improve the quality of the education system. I would like to pay special attention to the protection of children's right to education. It is our responsibility to ensure that all students have equal access to quality and continous education. This is what this joint project serves, which will allow us to create a supportive educational environment for them and help them acquire knowledge and skills for self-realization in a rapidly changing world of technology.”

The Deputy Minister emphasized, that the Ministry is systematically working on the development of infrastructure at schools. Several public schools were built, renovated and equipped with modern equipment for the new school year, both in Tbilisi and in the regions of Georgia.

Moreover, within the framework of the project, representatives of the Georgian education system, including the Ministry and school administrations, will get acquainted with the Estonian model, in particular, the practice of distance learning and the concepts developed in this regard. School representatives will be trained in providing a student-centered educational environment. The project, in line with international experience and best practices, also includes a mid-level revision of the new National Curriculum.

The distance learning support program, which is fully funded by the Estonian government, will start in September 2020, and lasts for two years.

The partnership between the Government of Estonia, the Government of Georgia, and the United Nations Children's Fund, launched in 2014, and aims to raise the qualification of Georgian teachers and improve the quality of education for children.

The National Curriculum for Grades I-IX was revised as part of the partnership implemented in 2014-2016. In 2017-2019, teachers from 20 pilot schools selected across the country were trained and introduced to innovative teaching approaches. Within the framework of the partnership, a study tour was also organized in Estonia, where the principals and teachers of selected Georgian schools got acquainted with the policies and approaches of the Estonian education system, as well as, monitoring the curriculum, quality assurance, and many more. Curriculum experts and scientists from Estonian universities are being involved in the project.