The Minister of Education and Science, Dimitri Shashkini and the Director of National Examination Center, Maia Miminoshvili visited Tbilisi public school #98 and met with around 200 teachers of Isani-Samgori region. Teachers certification exams and other issues of ongoing educational reform were discussed at the meeting.
The successful implementation of the pilot testing, held in Kutaisi and Tbilisi was underlined at the meeting. By the results, voluntary tests seemed easy to the teachers. The final examination program will be created according to these results of pretests. The passing point of the exams will be known to the teachers at the end of March. The certification exams will be held for the first time in summer, 2010. The National Examination Center will prepare the tests and carry out the exams.
The Minister said, teachers certification is not a major goal of the ministry, - improving the qualification is most important. Certified teachers will receive increased salary. Additionally, they will have opportunity to work as mentor-teachers. This also includes additional salary of 160 GEL.
Maia Miminoshvili and the Heads of subject matter teachers of National Examination Center answered all the questions in detail.
Dimitri Shashkini spoke about the improvement of the quality of education and discipline, also about sport lessons and etc. at the meeting.
According to these meetings and consultations, the Minister, together with the representatives of the ministry and the teachers, initiate new methods, evaluate the results of ongoing reform and inform the teachers about the conditions of the system personally.