A
meeting was held at the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. Minister
of Education Tamar Sanikidze talked about accomplished projects and future
plans and summarized the activities carried out by the Ministry during 2013.
President of Georgia, members of the Government, representatives of
international and donor organizations and journalists attended the
meeting.
The
goal of our team was to make the existing resources more effective and socially
focused. Budgetary means had to be distributed in a way to make each family and
persons employed in the system feel the changes, support of the government and
real development” – noted Tamar Sanikidze.
The
Ministry has started a number of new projects in 2013. They are:
- Investment worth of 140 million
USD in the education system within the framework of MCC Second Compact;
- Construction of 9 new public
schools;
- Rehabilitation of approximately
600 schools, installation of heating systems in more than 80 schools; the
process is currently under way;
- Salary increase by 26-60% for
teachers and by 40-45% for administrative-technical personnel;
- Up to 500 000
pupils received 5 900 000 free textbooks;
- School transportation (46 520
pupils of 913 schools are provided with school bus services);
- Internet is available in all
public schools of Georgia;
- Children’s protection,
mediation and psychology service has been set up;
- “Professional orientation and
career-planning course”;
- Inclusive education promotion
strategy, new programs and projects for children with special educational
needs have been implemented;
- Professional
standards of libraries, librarians, school principals and teachers;
- Transparent and
fair enrollment rules and full financing of studies in state-based
vocational education centers. 9000 persons enrolled in fall semester have
full scholarships;
- Inclusive vocational education.
51 persons with special educational needs are enrolled on vocational
programs and more than 300 teachers passed relevant trainings;
- Vocational education strategy
2013-2020;
- Strategy for private sector
involvement in vocational education;
- Access to vocational education
based on the geographic location. Up to 26 vocational education
institutions will be founded during 2014.
- Infrastructural development of
vocational institutions
- Salary raise for vocational
teachers;
- 3 529 students were
enrolled on priority field directions of 17 faculties. 9 981 students were
financed by the State.
- 1411 students were financed
within the social program (in 2012 this number constituted 798);
- Financing of socially
unprotected students enrolled based on the results of Unified National
Examinations 2011-2012.
- Social program for Master and
PhD students has started for the first time this year (65 Master and 137
PhD students).
- 2717 students are receiving
State stipends in 2013;
- Summer and Winter Schools;
- 3,707,048 GEL was spent within
the Program “Tsodnis Kari”. This amount exceeds the amount spent in 2012
by one million GEL. In 2013, 97 students were financed in total.
