Dimitri Shashkini:   “A School Is Not a Prison” – Newspaper “Mteli Kvira”

Newspaper “Mteli Kvira” March 15, 2010

Title: Dimitri Shashkini:   “A School Is Not a Prison”

Subtitle:  Students, who are willing to continue studying at higher educational institutions, will receive diplomas. The graduates, who are not willing – will receive certificates.  

Eter Balavadze

 Dimitri Shashkini has launched the educational reforms since his appointment as the Minister of Education and Science. The schoolchildren, who are willing to receive higher education, will pass 9 exams and cross the minimal competency level. The competency level will be increased step by step. The Minister spoke with “Mteli Kvira” about the Guard Institute, to ensure security at schools. The Minister dreams to allocate funds for all socially vulnerable families.

“Mteli Kvira”:  You were appointed as the Minister of Education and Science in the difficult circumstance in educational system. What changes have you made? What are your future plans?

Dimitri Shashkini: I was appointed as the Minister of Education and Science three months ago.  By the President’s announcement, the first level of the educational reform was successfully finished. The corruption is eradicated from the educational system. Currently, students enter the universities according to their talent and opportunities and not with the support of the relatives, as it was before. The school financing system, as well as the heating system and generally, public utilities have been regulated. The schoolchildren were attending the lessons in coats before 2003. We crossed the first round of the reforms after solving above mentioned problems. The second round also requires time. The Ministry will present the four year National Curriculum in a week. We want to introduce to the society our future plans.

“Mteli Kvira”:  What is the sense of four years reform? 

Dimitri Shashkini: We will create the exact conception of schools, vocational education and training centers and higher educational institutions. All schools will pass the authorization before 2015. This means to sign the memorandum between the school and the state. The five year plan will envisage solving the problems during  five years. School infrastructure will be improved - all schools will be equipped with gyms or open stadiums. Some schools have been already equipped. The schools cannot refurbish the gyms on their own. The government will allocate the funds for school infrastructure.

M.K.:What changes are planned in the educational process?

D.Sh.: The society will be familiarized with the National Curriculum in September,  2010. The curriculum will be activated in 2011, after preparing the textbooks.  The current curriculum does not include the concrete educational writings. The schools have different curricula for this reason. The teachers have not got the defined plan, which writing of Ilia Chavchavadze has to be taught. The teachers choose the different programs in Sagarejo, Tbilisi and Kutaisi. The schoolchildren meet the diverse curriculum, if they change the school. Many parents reprehend us for this instability. So, the 60% component will be defined for private schools, as well as for public schools and the stability will be ensured. The teachers will be free in the left 40%.

M.K : What alterations are planned in the Unified Entry Exams?

D.Sh.: The students will pass the exams in Georgian Language and Literature, General Abilities, foreign languages and additionally, in the subject, they choose on their own. The criteria of allocating grants will be changed. The General Ability test results were the determinant in allocating grants in the past. From now on, all subject results will decide the grants allocation. The schoolchildren, who will be willing to receive the higher education will cross the minimal competency level in following nine exams: Georgian Language and literature, foreign languages, chemistry, physics, biology, geography, history and mathematics. They will pass 4 entry exams at the same time. By the way, we have decreased the minimal competency level specially. This kind of question will be asked in mathematics: calculate the 5% of 80. The schoolchildren, who graduate from school, have to know elementary mathematical issues. If Germany and France changes the names on the map, the children must know, it is not correct. Shortly, the questions are very easy. But the minimal competency level will be increased. 2011year level will be defined according to the result of pretests, which will be held in April.The schoolchildren will receive certificates, if they do not wish to receive diplomas. These certificates will give them opportunity to continue studying at vocational education and training centers, community colleges or begin to work.

M.K.: What changes will arise after creating the Guard system at schools, if you consider the different opinions of parents’ toward the police.

D.Sh.: The Guard System is one of the components of Safe Schools .It envisages attending three people (2 men, 1 woman) during the educational process at schools to carry out the  crime preventive measures. It does not mean the punishment. They will control children behavior to avoid the terrible crime incidents. Parents’ directed their attention on the guaranties of the security at schools during the meetings in December-January. Every parent wants the safe school.

M.K: Doesn’t it mean, the children will not be able to leave the school during the educational process on their own.

D.Sh.: Why not? The school is not a prison and a punishment mechanism, schoolchildren are free people. Georgia is the Vice-president country of UNESCO and the government does all the best to make the education available for everyone. Nobody can prohibit the child to leave the school. He is free person. The responsibility of the Guard is to prevent the concrete abolishment.  The ministry offers parents special cards to see the entering and leaving time of their children, if they wish so. They will receive messages on mobile phones. The school does not avoid responsibilities, but it cannot establish the repression mechanisms. Parents, together with the school are obliged to control their children. If the child misses the defined limit or misseS the lessons without reasons, the 20% of third term will be automatically cut off. The main goal of the reforms is to return children to school and to receive the general education.

M.K.: Many schools have been unified after the revolution. What is going on in this sphere currently and what measures are you holding to rehabilitate the schools?

D.Sh.: Currently, around 2200 public schools exist in Georgia. We allocated funds for school infrastructure to the local municipalities. They better know the existing problems and besides they are interested in making their regions the best.

M.K.: Last yea,r the ministry implemented students’ social program. According to parents’ opinions, the program was discriminative. Students from vulnerable families and from mountain regions, who were included in the list, were not financed. What was the reason of this imperfection?

D.Sh.: The social programs, created for vulnerable students, exist nowadays. The issue is very difficult. The ministry allocated defined funds for every vulnerable student. My dream is to support every vulnerable family, but the fund is not enough in the budget. The ministry works with the budget, defined by the parliament. So, we try to help every vulnerable student according to the fairness principle.