Important changes were made in the national curriculum
21.11.2023

Owing to the initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the initial phase of revising the national curriculum has concluded. The updated framework emphasizes greater autonomy for both public and private schools.

The modifications extend to all facets related to the planning and management of teaching and learning, encompassing principles, objectives, content priorities, teaching methods, assessment, and the organization of the learning process. Consequently, each element of teaching and learning is more geared towards supporting general education institutions, affording schools more creative latitude in planning the learning process with the student's best interests in mind.

Key changes include:

  • A clear definition of student-oriented, in-depth teaching and learning.
  • Determination of principles forming the basis for teaching-learning results and intermediate learning goals.
  • Specification of principles guiding formative and summative assessment by teachers.
  • Clarification of the function and importance of the school curriculum.
  • Reformulation of the goals of the national curriculum in alignment with general education goals, qualification frameworks, and 21st-century competences.
  • Newly articulated goals for each subject group, allowing private schools the flexibility to determine their subjects and defined learning outcomes to achieve these goals.
  • Removal of methodological recommendations from the national curriculum.
  • Abolishment of formative assessment components and models, empowering schools to create their original formative assessment systems.
  • Permission for private schools to set thresholds for grades rather than using a graded system.
  • Requirement for schools to offer a remedial program to students with a yearly grade point average below 5.0 in any subject.
  • Mandate for schools to provide a remedial and accelerated curriculum to students at risk of dropping out, with the content determined by the school based on the national curriculum.
  • Empowerment of schools to determine their timetables, taking into account students' needs, interests, and available resources, with the national curriculum's hourly grid serving as a recommendation.
  • Removal of descriptions of subject chairs and tutors' functions from the national curriculum, allowing schools to determine the roles of school community members and the school's structure.
  • Determination of state language teaching levels for foreign nationals enrolled in a foreign language program based on the years of teaching, following the common European language recommendation framework.
  • Elimination of restrictions on students representing ethnic minorities in the Georgian sector/school, enabling each student to learn their native language individually.

It is noteworthy that a textbook approval process has been established, allowing private and public schools to use Ministry-approved, non-marked textbooks in their educational processes.

Additionally, ongoing subject standards revision involves active teachers, academic representatives, and psychologists in forming subject groups. The revision process is expected to conclude in spring 2024.