Journal “Tbiliselebi”

Author – Tamuna Samadashvili

Title: Will the Children Of the Schools that Will Be Included In the List Of So Called Golden Schools Receive Privileges In Unified Entry Exams? What Criteria Should the School Satisfy for Ten Stars?

MES introduces one more innovation – school branding process began in Public Schools of Georgia. Schools will be awarded with stars according to the different criteria. Schools with 10 stars will be included in the list of so called Golden Schools and they will receive one privilege – school children will pass general education diploma exams at their schools. We spoke with the Minister of Education and Science, Dimitri Shashkini about the school branding process and the schools that have the problems of infrastructure.

Dimitri Shahskini: School branding is approved method in USA and Europe that envisages competition among the schools. 2200 schools operate in Georgia and it is difficult for MES to be actively involved in the activities of all schools. Therefore, introducing school branding became necessary in order to have information about all schools according to the criteria of branding.

Naturally, it is important for everyone whose children study or will study at schools. Many experts were involved in this process. Experts of National Curriculum and Assessment Center and Teacher Training Center were among them as well. Criteria of branding are defined by the qualified experts. We cooperated on this issue with the school principals, teachers, school children. They liked school branding idea. Schools have already begun self-evaluation. The results will be summed by the committee created at MES. This committee will begin to study and discuss these results from September. First Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Koka Seperteladze is the chairman of the committee. Successful schools will be encouraged according to the healthy competition. Stereotype exists, that schools located in center are more privileged. People think so. School children have the same opinion as well. This is the reason we want to identify other schools of periphery that are really very good. Successful school principals and teachers work there and the quality and level of studying are very high in these schools. This was proved at Unified Entry Exams. It is commonly known that the school children of mountainous regions showed better results in Unified Entry Exams. Racha was especially successful. School children from Racha showed the highest rates. This is the goal of branding. We should encourage the schools that are not famous but have the high quality of teaching and the school children of these schools are actively involved in useful activities.

What criteria should the schools satisfy in order to receive stars from MES?

5 stars are automatically passed to all schools. Calculation starts from 5 stars and up. Schools that will satisfy 9 stars plus one more star for accreditation will be included in the list of the so called Golden Schools. These schools will be automatically allowed to carry out general education diploma exams at schools and not at National Education Centers. Criteria of accreditation will be very strict. Demands will be increased towards these schools that will be included in this list. “Studying in Teaching” – methodology and specificity of the teaching process, development level of additional lessons, activities of schools beside the national curriculum, school involvement in children’s development process, schools’ activities to have qualified and certified teachers, schools involvement in international and local competitions, Olympiads and the results of the school children in Unified Entry Exams are one of the most important criteria for receiving stars. School infrastructure has its own assessment criterion.

Will this process provoke non-healthy competition among the schools? Will the schools with poor infrastructure be oppressed besides they have qualified teachers and high level of education?

This will not happen. Education and teaching methodology will be the main components in school branding. If we concentrate on infrastructure, many schools will be oppressed. Schools will the good infrastructure exist but the quality of education is not appropriate. In this environment schools with poor infrastructure and high quality education will not be oppressed. Some schools found sponsors, partners and constructed swimming pools and school canteens with their financial support. Renovated and non-renovated schools that successfully maintain old infrastructure will be equalized in the branding process. Priority will be the methodology of teaching that supports advancement of education level.

Will the branding process provoke school closure?

This will not happen.  Even schools with small contingent will not be closed. We visited schools, where only 50 school children study. These schools received high quality evaluation in the education level. Regulated educational process and successful school children had this school. Holders of golden medals and the winners of Olympiads among these children. Schools received additional two stars according to these factors. By the main is to maintain other stars that schools will receive. Branded schools will be checked one or two times a year by MES. Signing the memorandum of agreement between schools and MES will begin this year. Both sides will take responsibilities on several issues that will have to be implemented by 2015. As a result, all schools will have to satisfy international standards in 2015. All schools should be authorized by this period.

What privileges will have the schools with 10 stars?

These schools will be permanently encouraged in different ways. Privileges will be the right of passing general education diploma exams at schools and branded in the list of the best schools. in other cases schools will be in the same conditions – school with 5 stars will have to do all the best to receive stars and become the school of ten stars. Schools included in the list of Golden Schools will immediately loose the star if it doesn’t satisfy criteria any more. All school children will pass Unified Entry Exams. Silver and Golden medals exist in order to encourage successful school children. All school children will   be in the similar conditions.

Principals’, teachers’ and school children ethics codes will be launched at schools from September. What new responsibilities do these codes envisage?

In the standpoint of ethics, many problems exist at schools. We faced some unpleasant facts of violating child’s right by the school principal or the teacher, violating child’s right and vice versa. Many facts exist, when teacher use the children for private interests. For example, teacher sent the child to buy funeral flowers. Once the principal demanded the teacher to wear 2 cm long dress. Many teachers as well as the principals held political and religious agitation that is prohibited by the new code. All three codes are developed by the experts of MES and invited experts. These codes are designed to regulate relations between teachers, school children and principals and protect their duties. New codes will regulate school inter order. Inter order will be introduced in all schools. All school children, teachers and principals will have to follow this order. Administrative punishment that schools will define independently will work for breaking the code. General Inspection of MES will control the fairness of sanctions.