Collecting Money at Schools Is Strictly Prohibited

Newspaper “24 Saati”

Author: Nino Barabadze

Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia has solved some problematic issues by the beginning of 2011-2012 academic year. The price of the text-books for the grades I-VI does not exceed 10 GEL. The parents are informed about the places where they can buy textbooks and about the web-sites where they prescribe for the home delivery of the textbooks. Schoolchildren from socially vulnerable families get the textbooks free of charge. All first graders receive the presents – net-books from the President of Georgia. All above listed factors will support the improvement of education quality.

Despite of these positive changes in the education system, representatives of oppositional political parties still try to mislead the public. There are some rumors about the facts of collecting money by the school administration and about obligations of returning the net-books presented by the President.

As Minister Dimitri Shashkini highlighted in his interview, many countries of the world are fighting with corruption. Government of Georgia is fighting with corruption in many fields. As recent researches show, the level of corruption has decreased in Georgia. Department of Internal Audit of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia works hard to avoid any case of corruption. It is very important for us to be informed about the situations at schools.

As Minister stated, in cases of collecting money from the parents by the school administration, school principals will be strictly punished.

 The “Alumni” foundation that already exists in Georgia, gives opportunity to former schoolchildren or parents of current schoolchildren to voluntarily contribute to the development of schools by donating money. But it should be noted, that the money can only be transferred to the bank account of particular school. This means that, the school has no right to demand money from parent for the “Alumni” foundation.

There was information about the fact of collecting money at one of the schools…

Tell me the name of the school and teacher and I guarantee you that we will have the proper reaction. I want to underline once again that, every case of money collecting will be strictly punished.

I want to inform the society, that recently we have created new formula of school financing. According to this formula, the budget of public schools has increased with 40 million GEL. The schools will be able to receive money from the budget quarterly and not monthly. This will give school administrations the opportunity to plan 3 months activities ahead.

Mr. Shashkini, as one of the members of oppositional party stated, after 3 years schoolchildren will have to return the President’s presents - net-books “Buki” to school administration and if the schoolchild breaks the net-book, the parents will have to pay 700 GEL.

This year, the President of Georgia presented 60 thousand schoolchildren of Public Schools of Georgia with portable computers. The net-books are schoolchildren’s property. It is a present and schoolchildren have the right either take it home or leave it at school upon their decision. The information about returning net-books to school after 3 years of usage is false. There is only one restriction concerning the net-books: when schoolchild is transferring from public school to private school, he has to leave the net-book at public school. Private schools are enabled to buy the net-books for their schoolchildren, but only 10% of private schools have bought the net-books.

For the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the integration of information technologies in the teaching-learning process is very important. We have organized the trainings of all teachers of primary level in IT. The special education programs are installed in the net-books. This will make the learning process more interesting and easier.

From current academic year, teaching of English language from the 1^st grade has become mandatory. But there are some schools, for example German schools. What is the solution for such schools?

According to the agreement between the Ministry and those Schools that are originally German or French language schools, the schools are enabled to teach German of French languages from the 1^st grade together with English language.

Textbooks for the grades I-VI cost less than 10 GEL…

We placed special posters for the parents at schools with information about those text-book fairs, where they can buy approved text-books that cost less than 10 GEL. The parents also have the chance to subscribe for the text-book home delivery.

This year schoolchildren from socially vulnerable have received textbooks free of charge. Did every socially vulnerable schoolchild receive textbooks?

I personally spoke to school principals on this issue. All school principals had to provide the Ministry with the list of socially vulnerable schoolchildren by July 15. We brought the text-books according to this list.

There were some cases when parents had not bought to school the copy of the socially vulnerable family’s status by July 15. Accordingly those schoolchildren were not in the lists provided by the school administrations and they did not receive the textbooks.