Georgia Today Education - Issue 009

EDUCATION Issue no: 009

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• MAY 2017

• PUBLISHED MONTHLY

PRICE: GEL 2

In this issue...

The School is Yours! ntss tto o Empowering Students Govern Themselvess PAGE 3

Georgian Schools to Embrace Human Rights, Gender Equality Education PAGE 6

Get Ready for Winter: The Grasshopper & The Ant

FOCUS

PAGE 9

ON LEARNING TO CARE

Putting the Reforms into Practice: Meet a Kindergarten Director

This issue, we’re planting trees, picking up trash, inventing things that help people and learning how to be a good leader...read all about it inside!

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NATO PA Supports Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration in Declaration

BY THEA MORRISON

O

n May 29, NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly (PA) passed a declaration in support of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, urging allied governments to provide “strong political and practical support” as the country moves closer to the Alliance.

By supporting the document, the NATO PA Assembly showed its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and called on Russia to withdraw its military forces from the illegally occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and

South Ossetia and to reverse its recognition of these regions as independent states.

The document also asks Russia to “fulfill its obligations vis-à-vis Georgia and abide by international law; to reciprocate Georgia’s promise not to use force; to not take any provocative and aggressive steps towards Georgia; to allow international human rights observers to go into the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; and to allow freedom of movement and trade across the Administrative Boundary Line.”

The resolution says that Georgia’s relationship with the Alliance has what it needs for eventual membership and that Georgia will become a member of NATO through the

Membership Action Plan (MAP) process.

It also called for stronger efforts to support Georgia through joint exercises, strengthening defensive capabilities and enhancing Georgia’s ability to fight hybrid threats such as propaganda and disinformation campaigns.

The declaration calls on the Georgian government to continue strength-

ening democratic institutions and an independent judiciary, maintaining media freedom, enhancing dialogue and reducing tensions between the ruling and opposition parties.

Paolo Alli, President of the NATO PA said: “It sends a clear signal that NATO’s door is open, and that no amount of outside pressure can prevent aspirants from pursuing their membership goal”.

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Bicycle Lanes to Be Laid in Tbilisi

BY THEA MORRISON

T

bilisi will soon have its own cycle paths and infrastructure, helping bike riders to safely navigate the city in specifically modified areas.

By the end of the year, the Mayor’s Office of Tbilisi will launch trial routes for cyclists. Construction of the cycle lanes is already in progress.

Eight-kilometer lanes will be placed on the right and left banks of the Mtkvari River. Cyclists will be able to travel from the Mother Tongue Garden along the right bank of Mtkvari and up to Vakhushti Bridge, then down the left bank of the river and back to the Garden.

A second lane will run from Saarbrücken Square to Freedom Square and a three-kilometer lane will also be finished this year in Digomi, on Mirian Mepe Street.

“The sidewalks and highways are being rebuilt on both sides of Mtkvari River at present,” a representative of the Urban Management Agency said. “In order to promote cycling, around 20 bicycle parking lots will be set up throughout the city and several more traffic lights will be installed on streets to guarantee cyclist safety,” City Hall said.

The founder of the Bicycle Amateurs’ Club in Georgia, Tamaz Tikanadze, has already been moving around the capital by bicycle for four years. He says that at present it is not safe to ride in the streets due to the absence of special lanes and infrastructure. “There are many streets in the capital where lanes could be immediately installed. The streets and public transport are very busy nowadays and the best solu-

tion to this issue is developing bicycle infrastructure,” Tikanadze said.

City Hall’s Transport Service Department says that after laying the first bicycle lanes, they will have a better picture of where other such infrastructure can be added, but that the decision to lay bicycle infrastructure should be based on demand.

“Such projects need finances and the Mayor’s Office will make decisions regarding further infrastructure only based on demand from the population,” Mamuka Mumladze from the transport Service Department said.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are calling on the government to promote bicycles and a healthy lifestyle in the country.

These groups say that the use of bicycles will both help people’s budgets and help protect the environment.

Info Box Did you know…?

Cycling in the Netherlands began in 1870 and by the 1920s was the most popular mode of transportation (at about 75%). The first bicycle path was a 1.4 km route built in 1899 with two paved bicycle paths alongside the Breda-Tilburg cobblestone road.

In Germany, people were not happy with conflicts between cyclists, horse traffic and pedestrians. The first cycle lanes were constructed in Bremen in 1897, and there were already plans for Hamburg as early as 1899.

What’s That?

Navigate – move around, explore Modified – changed, made better Launch – open Trial – test Installed – put into place Demand – what people want Finances – money Cobblestone – road or path made of stones

Food for Thought  Do you think cycling can and should be promoted in Georgia? Why (not)?  What are the pros and cons of cycling in a city?

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The School is Yours!

Empowering Students to Govern Themselves

E

very year on May 5, European School celebrates Self-Governance Day, where students replace the adult staff, including the principal, vicedirectors, coordinators, guards, librarians, cafeteria assistants, and teachers.

Anyone who is eager to play a role can apply, and if more than one person applies for the same “vacancy”, a committee of teachers will decide.

What is the benefit of organizing a Self-Governance Day at school?

The European School team believes that students can learn more through challenges; that it can be a great way to create a positive experience and teach and improve life-skills such as problem-solving, self-confidence, team-work, predicting, logical reasoning, affective communication, organizational skills, etc.

Students are put in different unexpected situations and have to face difficulties, solve problems and make decisions. This type of role-play improves their analytical skills.

At the end of the Self-Governance Day, the school community meets in the main hall and analyzes the day, giving the students a chance to reflect on their experiences.

Last year there was a false firealarm, and a fire-engine with firefighters turned up at the school.

None of the students knew the alarm was false, so the students in their new roles had to react correctly in the ‘critical’ situation.

This year, some of the teachers decided to try to sneak out of school

(in Georgia, students call it “shatalo”) and to see how the students in the role of guards, class teachers and principal would react: what kind of punishments they’d invent and how fair their decisions would be. It’s clear that the day is guaranteed to be full of surprises and students always look forward to it.

Nikoloz Chikvaidze: I was a guard on the school`s Self-Governance Day. I had to watch the school cameras and check every floor (we have six floors in two school buildings) to be sure that everything was running well. My colleagues and I also had to control the front and back entrances to make sure that nobody was leaving school without permission. So, I was responsible for student behavior. After this, I realized how difficult it is to be a guard and I will always respect people of this profession.

Irakli Kikoria: On Self-Governance Day, I was a High School Coordinator in the Georgian Sector (our school runs three programs: Georgian, American and International Baccalaureate), which turned out to be a really hard job. The day began with sorting lessons and teachers across classrooms, which required some facilitation skills.

Then I had to monitor the presence of students throughout the day and their active participation. These activities developed my leadership and organizational skills. It was a great experience and gave me great insight into what duties high-school coordinators have to take on, and it truly raised my respect for people doing the job!

What’s That?

Replace – substitute, swap Eager – motivated, excited Benefit – good Unexpected – they don’t know what will happen Sneak – move quietly, without anyone seeing you Look forward to – get excited about Permission – the authorities agree you can Behavior – actions Insight – view, perspective

Info Box Jeremy Sutcliffe of the British newspaper The Guardian, named the following qualities as necessary for a good leader (in this case, for a school director). Discuss them with your friends and give your own ideas.

1. VISION Successful leaders have “great vision – the ability to shape the future, rather than be shaped by events,” says Richard Harman, headmaster of Uppingham School, Rutland.

2. COURAGE Successful school leaders show great determination, with the willpower and patience to see things through. They are willing to take risks and challenge under-performance or bad behavior.

3. PASSION Successful school leaders are passionate about teaching and learning and show great commitment to children and staff.

4. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Successful school leaders understand the importance of relationships, empower their staff and pupils and show great empathy. “Get the relationships right- if they feel motivated, they want to follow you,” says Kingsbridge Community College principal, Roger Pope.

5. JUDGMENT The best headteachers show great judgment and are wise leaders, taking people forward together and involving the whole school community.

6. RESILIENCE Successful school leaders are optimistic and resilient, remain calm in a crisis and are energetic and positive at all times.

Food for Thought  If your school or work allowed you to choose a role for the day, what would you choose and why?  Imagine being 1) the school director 2) the school caretaker (janitor). What challenges might you face? Describe the job.

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The Big Spender: What City Hall Pays out for Disabled ‘Summer Camps’

BY NINO ABDALADZE, IFACT.GE

T

he Resort Service Program for Persons with Disabilities is one of several programs for persons with disabilities administered by Tbilisi City Hall. While conditions at the resorts are improving, parents of children with disabilities still complain about problems with the program.

The city spends more on these camps than they do on other programs for the disabled. In 2016, the budget for the resort program was GEL 715,845.00, while the budget for all who are eligible for the program “Assistance for Socially Unprotected Persons with Disabilities Under the Age 18” was GEL 369,000.

Tbilisi’s Department of Health and Social Services has administered the program since 2008, helping children with disabilities and their parents to spend a holiday at either mountain or sea resorts in Georgia.

Ureki and Anaklia are most often chosen as Black Sea resorts and Bakuriani and Borjomi as mountain resorts.

Children with disabilities aged 3-21 and a parent or legal guardian can participate. According to the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Services, 31,066 people in Tbilisi with disabilities receive aid or support from the government. Slightly more than 10 percent (3,285) are aged 3-21.

Tengiz Tevzadze, coordinator of social programs for the Department of Health and Social Services, said that in 2016 there were 1,023 applicants and 900 were accepted. In 2015, 816 were accepted.

Tevzadze says participants must have documents showing they are

registered in Tbilisi or receive services from a daycare center located in Tbilisi. His department decides who is chosen. “There are no special criteria,” he says, “the most important factor is the condition of the child. Doctors examine applicants to see if a child is at risk from health problems during the program”.

Natia Sharvadze and her son have been in the program since 2008 and she prefers to go to the sea resorts.

“For several years I went with another adult to help with my son and the hotel administrations,” she told us. Because of her son’s condition, they cannot travel by bus and so have to travel there by car. “There are people with the same problem who cannot do that, and so they are unable to enjoy the program,” she said.

Sharvadze’s son uses a wheelchair, so staying in a hotel close to the beach is very important for her.

Food for Thought  Think about where you spend your summer holiday. Is it adapted for the disabled? How? If not, how could it be?  Design a program to entertain a group of disabled children for one day. What will you include? What factors do you need to plan for?

What’s That?

Resort – a place people go to for relaxation and health Disabilities – not able to move or think as ‘normal’ Complain – say bad things about Aid – help (money) Applicants – people who ask to participate Blind – cannot see Deaf – cannot hear Benefit – get good feelings Isolated – away from other people Children who are blind or deaf also have special hotel needs.

“Two years ago, a Tbilisi City Hall survey found that there is not a single hotel in Georgia completely adapted for persons with disabilities. So we try to choose from the ones which are most suitable,” Tevzadze says.

The program includes therapeutic massages for children who need them. But according to Mari Korkotadze, who heads the organization ‘Families against Discrimination’ (FAD) and whose son participated in the program in 2016, “it would be better if the program had art or sensory therapy with specialists.

“It’s not important to only swim in the sea and lay on the sand,” she said. “There should be activities so the children don’t just sit in front of computers after swimming. Then

it would be like a summer camp.”

Apart from relaxing, many would also benefit from playing with other children their own age. Korkotadze says children with disabilities are often sent to remote resorts isolated from everyone.

The program budget for 2017 has been increased by another GEL 100,000. Tevzadze said that because some resorts that are chosen may not be suitable for people with certain disabilities, a voucher system has been established through which the disabled person and parent or guardian can pick their own resort.

In 2017, those vouchers, worth GEL 400 will be given to 250 people.

Sharvadze supports the voucher system, but says the money is still not enough. Korkotadze agrees. “For an adult and child, the vouchers should be GEL 800,” she says.

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Georgian Schools to Embrace Human Rights, Gender Equality Education

BY MAKA LOMADZE

H

uman rights, gender equality, healthy lifestyle and reproductive health will soon be in the national school curriculum of Georgia. On May 15, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the UN Joint Program for Gender Equality signed a Memorandum of Understanding to help change the national curriculum to integrate the issues of human rights, gender equality and healthy lifestyle into the educational programs.

Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and three United Nations agencies – United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nation Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), covers three main areas of secondary education: formal education in schools; nonformal education, including optional courses and parents’ education; and vocational education and training.

The United Nations will assist the Ministry to analyze the school and college curriculum, develop new educational programs, upgrade teaching methodologies, train teachers and career councilors, and share best international practices

in promoting human rights, gender equality and healthy lifestyle through general education.

The United Nations will also work with the vocational colleges and local governments to create more educational and employment opportunities for women across Georgia, and to involve locally elected women councilors in the pre-school education reform.

“Cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia will contribute to the healthy development of youth and to strengthening human capital and helping achieve the national priorities of the Sustainable Development Goals, National Youth Policy, Maternal and Child Health Strategy, and Demographic Security Policy Concept,” Lela Bakradze, Assistant Representative, UNFPA Georgia, told GEORGIA TODAY. “When such classes are taught in a safe and positive learning environment, plus with good access to health services, it has a positive and long-term effect on the health and happiness of young people: reducing teenage pregnancies and abortions; decreasing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people; decreasing HIV infections among young people; and decreasing sexual exploitation”.

“Working with experts, we want to integrate human rights, healthy lifestyle, domestic violence and reproductive health issues into the

What’s That?

Integrate – put inside, make it a part of Vocational education – studying for a particular practical job (e.g. car mechanics, restaurant ownership, cookery) Assist – help Career councilors – people who help you choose what job you want in future and advise you how to get it Contribute – add to Human capital – people who work and earn money Long-term – for a long time Reducing – making the number smaller, decreasing Mainstreamed – made a regular part of classes in school Provided – given

Info Box Fatma Özdemir Uluç, who led a British Council-supported study into gender equality in Turkish schools: “In literature classes, rewrote some popular stories and fairy tales.

One school put on a play about Cinderella, casting a boy in the lead role to find out how this changed the story. We talked about the importance of girls and boys having lots of different options in life. Not every girl has to wait for a prince to save her. In sports you can easily see the discrimination between boys and girls in the options available to them. Boys can play football, but it is very rare to see a girls’ team. Even basketball is seen as a boys’ sport, so as part of the project, we helped set up girls’ football and basketball teams to give the students choices. We also built mixed teams, so everyone could play together – often for the first time”.

National Curriculum of public schools,” Erika Kvapilova, UN Women Country Representative in Georgia, told us. “Gender issues will be mainstreamed in the revision process of the National Curriculum of VII-XII grades of standard subjects (history, literature, etc.).

In addition, technical expertise will be provided to ensure the integration of healthy lifestyle and reproductive health, as well as domestic violence issues into the formal education system, in subjects like “Biology” and “Civic Education”. Support will also be given to teachers”.

The Georgian Ministry of Educa-

tion says that the curriculum of secondary schools was upgraded in the first four grades last year. It is not known when the latest process of changes will finish, but the action plan is expected to be concluded by the end of summer.

Food for Thought  Do you believe it is important for children to learn about the things in Paragraph 1 in school? Why (not)?

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Smart Kids - Winners of Millennium Innovations Award Visit NASA

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

I

n May, the first prize winners of the Millenium Innovations Award, a team of 8th Graders called Smart Kids from the Zugdidi Alexi Shushania public school- Natia Shamatava, Dea Chitaia, Aleksi Tkebuchava, Lika Kokaia and Gvantsa Chiqovani- were sent on an educational program at the Space Center University: NASA, in Houston, USA. They are the first Georgians to participate in the program.

The goal of the Millennium Innovations Award is to inspire youth to be interested in new technologies. First held in 2015, the competition is supported by the US Embassy to Georgia, with Geocell joining its supporters from 2016.

The winner, the Smart Kids’ Geological Threats project, is an earlywarning system for areas at risk

from landslides.

“Our project makes it possible to notify the population in certain areas of any possible landslide threats, in advance, giving them enough time to evacuate,” Gvantsa Chikovani, one of the five team members, explained.

“Georgia is considered a high-risk area for landslides,” said another team member, Lika Kokaia. “Samegrelo is geologically one of the most dangerous parts of the country. A flood seriously damaged the road to our school in Senaki in 2016, and that was when we decided to make a device that could notify in advance about the potential threats.”

“Devices preventing landslides are usually expensive and inflexibleoften not adapted to a particular landscape,” said Smart Kids member Natia Shamatava. “Specific areas of our country need specific configurations. Construction and production of a flexible notification

What’s That?

Inspire – make them want to do something Threats – dangers In advance – before it happens Device – small machine Potential - possible Adapted – changed to fit/suit

system in Georgia would be much cheaper and would give us a chance to cover all the areas in the country.”

In the Smart Kids invention, magnets are placed on the ground with censors and connected to a microprocessor which sends information to a central server on potential threats. The information can be received via mobile application and can monitor the vibration in the ground. As soon as a set limit of vibration is noted, the mobile application sends SMS notifications to the registered population in the area. The Smart Kids invention is cheap, adaptable to any geographical relief, is stable, provides accurate information and can be produced in Georgia.

The second prize of the Millenium

Innovation Award this year went to two teams: ‘Borjgaloroveri,’ presenting the project Engine for the Moon Rover, and the team ‘17’ with the project Magnetic Elevator. The third prize went to brothers Kosta and Giorgi Butbaias from Komarov Public School 199, and School-Lyceum Mtsignobartukhutsesi, for their Smart Parking project.

Anna Berdzenadze, Millennium Challenge Program Coordinator, announced that the Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency is giving a 5000 GEL grant to the teams who won first, second and third places for development of their projects, while the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation will work with the teams, assisting them in research in order to produce high quality prototypes.

Info Box Ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Have you wondered what it takes to travel and live on Mars? Do you want to engineer your own robotic rover and launch a rocket?

These are some of the things the winning team ‘Smart Kids’ got to experience at NASA’s Space Center U, which simulates astronaut training and real-world NASA experiences.

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FINANCIAL LITERACY Presented by

Get Ready for Winter: The Grasshopper & The Ant

A

happy-go-lucky, mischievous grasshopper spent the summer without a care, laughing at the ant as he worked hard day after day all summer long preparing for winter, collecting and storing food. The ant told the grasshopper again and again that he should prepare for winter, too, but the grasshopper never listened, only sang even louder and continued to live carelessly.

Finally, winter came and the starving grasshopper, who had saved no food, went to the ant to ask for helpjust enough food so he could survive until spring. But the ant refused to share his savings. He reminded the grasshopper that he had been lazy to work during the summer. Grasshopper understood that it was too late, and that he should have saved for winter in advance- if he had, he would have enjoyed easy winter days without a care, just like the ant.

WHAT DOES THIS FABLE TEACH US? • It’s important to plan in advance for possible difficult days so we don’t struggle financially • We must learn how to plan our future and divide our

Source: i.ytimg.com

What’s That?

Mischievous – naughty, cheeky Starving – very, very hungry Survive – live Refused – said ‘no’ Struggle – have problems Divide – separate into parts finances. Then ‘winter’ won’t frighten us and we’ll live free and easy in the difficult times, just like the ant did.

• Don’t forget that by saving coins, you can still save a lot of money!

Prepared for Georgia Today Education from the Finca Bank Book for Schools.

Info Box Want a smart way to control your money? Use four little banks. Label each bank with the way you’ll use the money: SAVE, SPEND, INVEST, and GIVE. A spending bank for money to be used soon on everyday things.

A saving bank for money to be used later on larger items.

An investing bank for money that will be used several years from now.

A giving bank for gifts to help others.

Food for Thought  Draw a picture for The Grasshopper & The Ant story in the box.

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GEORGIA TODAY MAY 2017

Care2: Clean-Up Campaign Kicks Off in Martkopi

BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE

A

ll across Georgia, you can see the trash hanging in the trees and littering the ground; left there by careless picnickers, blown away from illegal dumpsites or even thrown out of moving vehicles- the amount of litter in Georgia’s beautiful countryside is sad and ugly.

The Geocell “Movla” (Care) campaign encourages Georgians to clean up their country. In one year, 20,000 people downloaded the App and 500 trash sites around Georgia were identified. So far, 400 of those have been cleaned up. The government is fighting an ongoing battle which many say begins in educating people not to litter, but also needs more infrastructure (bins, trash collection trucks, etc.) and, ultimately, fining the people who drop litter.

Wanting to help, a group of foreigners living in Georgia, who come from very different cultural and educational backgrounds in terms of how to care for the environment, have decided to Care [for Georgia] Too. The “Founders” of the new campaign are Devi Asmadiredja, Johan Strydom and Katie Davies.

Devi is an Indonesian-German mountain tour guide who has lived and worked in Georgia since 2011.

She thinks of Georgia as her home and told GEORGIA TODAY, “Georgia’s main treasure is its nature. I hate to see people disrespecting that. I hate even more when people talk about how bad it is but then do nothing about it. I grew up in Germany and we were taught not to drop litter, plus we had a good recycling system”.

She tells a story about when she cleaned up a village in Tusheti with her friends. “This was in May. In August, the village had its traditional festival- families came up, and again there was trash everywhere. Some cows then ate the plastic containers and bags and died, “which is economically really bad for the owner”.

Katie Davies, English language specialist and author of the Blood Omen (vampiruli omebi) Saga, has been in Georgia 10 years and has three children by a Georgian husband. Her eldest, 7-year-old Lily, is sad about the amount of trash she sees when out on family walks and picnics. “She tells me, ‘why do people want to hurt nature?’ She doesn’t understand and neither do I,” Katie tells us. “I realize that in some cases the trash is blown from the villages where there aren’t enough collection trucks to service the number of people living there, but the problem of negligent littering, especially in the summer picnic season, is awful. Campaigns are starting to deal with it; the government knows it’s a problem and is working on educating and fining, but the bags

What’s That?

Trash – rubbish, waste Dumpsites – places where lots of trash is put Litter – trash, rubbish Ongoing – continuing Fining – from ‘fine’; to pay for a crime in money Negligent – doing something without caring about the result/effect are still hanging in the trees and the bottles are on the ground. Something needs to be done now”.

Katie tells us they set up Care2 to get people “not just talking about the problem but actively trying to clean up Georgia”.

The first clean-up took place near School Number 1 in Martkopi but there was more trash than they could clean, so they hope the local villagers and schoolchildren will also work on the problem.

It was just the start. Devi already has her own wish-list, based on what she has seen while guiding around Georgia: “Marneuli, Udabno, Pankisi, Eagles Canyon near Dedoplistskharo, Vashlovani, Tusheti…”

One look at the Geocell Movla map (see Info Box) shows us just how bad the situation is even close to Tbilisi. Put simply, we, as a community of many nationalities united by a love for this beautiful small country, have a duty to care.

Food for Thought  What’s the trash problem like where you live / study / work?  What can be done to fix it?  Start your own community campaign and design posters and leaflets.

Info Box Check out the Movla App (and map) here: https://movla.ge/ge

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Putting the Reforms into Practice: Meet a Kindergarten Director

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

H

ad you heard about the reforms in Tbilisi’s kindergartens?

GEORGIA TODAY did and we decided to see for ourselves if the promises of the Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency had really been kept.

We went to kindergarten No.162 in Okrokhana, a village on the mount above Tbilisi, to meet the children and director, Nino Tsiklauri.

The kindergarten is in the center of a typical Georgian village, with cows walking past the gate twice a day, and it is surrounded by pine trees and a big yard with flowers planted by the children. The teachers don’t shout and it is peaceful and friendly. Last year, they had restoration works done within the reform program of the Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency (TKMA)- the entrance, administration office, one nursery classroom and dormitory, the bathrooms, kitchen and the second-floor assembly hall were totally renovated. This was, Nino told us, the first facelift they’d had since the kindergarten opened in 1986.

The staff of 27 at the kindergarten in Okrokhana cares for 115 children in four classes of maximum 35 children, each group supported by two teachers. The kindergarten mainly serves local children, however, some parents even bring their children from Tbilisi and nearby villages.

Before starting her job as a kindergarten director in 2015, Nino Tsiklauri was the director of public school number 214. As a pre-school education specialist, Nino says she was always worried that children

entering school were often unprepared. She notes that one of the reforms that has proven most successful so far is the School Readiness Program, where children aged five and six are given the skills and knowledge necessary to enter the first grade of school at the age of six. Another major breakthrough is the nutrition reform in kindergartens- company ‘Elfi’ provides the highest quality food to kindergarten children and retrained kindergarten kitchen personnel about international best practice and hygiene.

“Thanks to the enormous efforts of the TKMA and Tbilisi Municipality, public kindergartens in Tbilisi can now compete with private ones- not only with regards nutrition and the educational process, but in so many other positive ways,” Nino says.

Kindergarten 162 makes it a mission to engage its children in various ways, from projects about caring for the planet, learning how books are made and attending theater performances at the Tbilisi Nodar Dumbadze Youth Theater, to litterpicking in the forest and planting flowers in the yard.

“We’re trying to teach them from a very early age that they should take care of and love their country,” Nino says. “When choosing a certain theme, we first talk with our methodist to work out the best way to explore it with the children”.

“We think that love for books is extremely important and we’re always trying to interest them in reading,” Nino says. “We want to get the children out of the routine. Kindergarten is not just about feeding and caring for children several hours a day, teaching them poems, songs and dances: we want to give them more

What’s That?

Facelift – to make it look beautiful again Unprepared – not ready Breakthrough – big positive change Engage – make them do, entertain Litter-picking – cleaning up trash

Info Box The first kindergarten in the world was founded by a man named Friedrich Froebel in Germany in 1837. His kindergarten developed theories and practices that are still being used today in kindergarten classrooms. His ideas were that children need to have play time in order to learn and kindergarten should be a place for children to grow and learn from their social interaction with other children.

Friedrich Froebel wrote a book based on his theories and practices concerning the kindergarten environment. The book was burned by the German community. They did not believe children needed to play in order to learn. They thought his theories were outrageous.

In 1872, kindergartens gained support from the National Education Association, which in 1884 established the Department of Kindergarten Instruction. and to help them be prepared for school,” Nino emphasizes.

Inclusive education is another key point of the recent reform and, thanks to TKMA, psychologists, teachers for children with special needs and speech therapists are now available in all Tbilisi kindergartens.

One of the major problems Nino highlighted during our interview is the lack of human resources and

the need for retraining.

“I’m extremely grateful to my staff: they work with so much dedication and energy… and yet innovation is still needed. Creating a comfortable environment and providing a good nutritional program for a child is very important, but it’s not enough if there’s no content and no-one is there to guide and develop the child in the right way. Retraining is crucial and more is needed,” she says.

Food for Thought  What was your kindergarten like?  How has the education system changed in your lifetime?  What changes are still needed?

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Geo-US Cook-Off Highlights Georgian Products in 25th Year of Diplomatic Relations

BY MAKA LOMADZE

O

n May 5, the Culinary Academy of the Agrarian University hosted a culinary contest together with USAID-based program REAP (Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production) and the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia.

The event celebrated the 25th anniversary of US-Georgian diplomatic relations and aimed at supporting Georgian agricultural products.

The participants of the competition were: Nicholas Berliner, Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy to Georgia; Douglas H. Ball, USAID Mission Director; and Giorgi Chkheidze, Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

“It has been several years since the United States of America started very intensely supporting the development of the agriculture sector of Georgia,” said Minister Davitashvili.

“REAP is an important project that has assisted a lot of private businesses with grants and training.

Our ministry cooperates with this program and this cooking competition showed our good cooperation”.

“The US is investing a lot in agriculture here in Georgia,” said Berliner. “It’s a major source of income for many people in this country.

The cooking competition used the products that you can find in many supermarkets here. We want to see Georgian products being produced to European and international stand-

ards, then marketed- creating export opportunities, jobs and putting Georgia on the global market”.

Anastasia Bendukidze, Director of the Knowledge Fund and organizer of the event, spoke to GEORGIA TODAY: “My father, Kakha Bendukidze, founded the Culinary Academy in 2013. Four years later, our graduates are working in some of the best restaurants in Georgia and also abroad. I’m really proud to continue my father’s hard work”.

The contestants used products produced by the beneficiaries of the Ministry of Agriculture, USAID REAP and Agriculture Projects Management Agency (APMA). They were assisted by the students and graduates of the Academy. All the products hold quality-proving certificates, which aim to increase their export potential to the EU. The contenders fought in three groups, headed by Berliner, Ball and Chkheidze, for 40 minutes. The Georgia-made ingredients included: spinach, spices, cheese, hazel nuts, broccoli, mushrooms, honey, and matsoni (natural yogurt).

When the time was up, the jury named the winner: the trout in orange and lemon sauce and the dessert cooked by Chkheidze’s group.

“We had a lot of fun and had a rich choice of ingredients,” Chkheidze told us. “I’m very happy that our team’s work won. Through this contest, we’ve marked the friendship between the American and Georgian peoples and the support that the United States gives to the development of Georgia”.

What’s That?

Intensely – strongly Assisted – helped Grants – giving money Investing – putting money into projects Income – money you earn from work Abroad – in other countries Beneficiaries – people who received help/grants

Info Box Did you know…?

• The EU is the largest donor supporting the improvement of food safety in Georgia.

• The EU and Georgia belong to international organizations that develop food safety rules: World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

• In the EU, the approach to food safety is based on the principle “from farm to fork”. Hygiene needs to be ensured at all stages, from farm to the shop.

• In Georgia, the National Food Agency is responsible for food safety and for reforming Georgia’s rules. Georgia’s basic regulation on the hygiene of foodstuffs is called the Food Safety Code.

• In 2013, the EU was the second biggest export market for Georgian agricultural products, after Azerbaijan. Georgia’s most important exports were beverages and spirits, edible fruits and nuts (about EUR 40 million in total).

• Most of Georgia’s exports of animals and animal products go to its neighbors. Azerbaijan is the main market for live animals exported from Georgia, while in 2013 Armenia bought half of Georgia’s dairy and fish exports. Kazakhstan is also an important market for Georgian dairy products.

Food for Thought  Does your family grow its own food? If yes, what?  Do you buy Georgian products? Why (not)?

14

EDUCATION

Behind the Scenes at Teach & Learn with Georgia

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

T

each and Learn with Georgia (TLG) is an education movement started by the previous Georgian government and administered under the Georgian Ministry of Education and Science. It recruits native English, French, German and Chinese language speakers to co-teach alongside local teachers in public schools throughout Georgia, aiming to improve Georgia’s foreign language proficiency.

GEORGIA TODAY spoke to Program Manager Tea Vakhtangadze who began her TLG career as a regular co-teacher working alongside a TLG volunteer, in 2011.

HOW HAS THE PROGRAM CHANGED SINCE IT STARTED? The TLG program is now more streamlined, with fewer volunteers than in previous years. We have specific guidelines and goals for all participants (volunteers, co-teachers, school staff, etc.), guiding the way the interaction with schools, volunteers and communities happens. We try to assess and monitor the process carefully and there are more teacher trainings and more monitoring trips to the regions to observe lessons during the school year.

Keegan Scott in Chiatura

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED? A reduction in the number of foreign teachers has been the biggest problem- and attracting qualified personnel. So, we started to build relationships with German, French, American, Canadian, and British universities and organizations to interest qualified applicants. We also used French and German job sites for native language teaching abroad.

There have also been communication problems across cultural lines.

For many volunteers, the reality of the socio-economic situation in the regions can be a shock. We now carefully choose schools and home placements, selecting families and schools that show the strongest interest in working with our TLG volunteers.

To overcome the issue of foreign language proficiency with local teachers, we organize regular training and testing for local teachers participating in the program.

The TLG program supports and encourages volunteers to help local teachers by contributing their time after school to help with lesson planning, finding new teaching resources for their lessons, and also organizing language clubs or competitions (such as spelling bees), making the teaching experience in the rural schools more productive

GEORGIA TODAY MAY 2017

What’s That?

Recruits – employs Alongside – with, next to Streamlined – efficient; works better Observe – see, watch Reduction – lower number Selecting – choosing Contributing – giving Restricting – limiting Barriers – complexes, obstacles, difficulties Consistent – regular, not changing

Danielle LaBrash’s class at Tsalenjikha School 2

and increasing the motivation of We also established more regular testing of Georgian foreign language pupils. teachers.

HOW HAS THE PROGRAM IMPROVED?

HOW HAS THE We made changes to the volunteer PROGRAM AFFECTED THE teacher selection process: restrict- LOCAL COMMUNITIES ing target countries and ensuring AND SCHOOLS? that participants definitely come with previous teaching experience.

We regularly update our Facebook and website pages with interesting posts, information, small projects, and updates on the progress of the academic school year.

We changed the contract we offer to volunteers, schools and host families to one full academic year only (i.e. no more half-semester contracts).

By improving foreign language skills, mostly in listening and speaking.

We have regular training and testing for local teachers to help them pass Teacher Professional Development exams and advance in their teaching careers. Local teachers say that communication with the TLG volunteers greatly helps them overcome barriers in their speaking and listening skills. We get consistent reports that lessons are more interesting for the students. The communities in the villages where TLG volunteers are placed also become more open and exposed to foreigners, usually exchanging their cultural and culinary traditions.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR TLG? We want it to grow steadily and with increased quality control. We’d also like for every public school in Georgia to be given a fair chance to work alongside a native-speaking volunteer. We want to give them the opportunity to be involved in the larger world through this direct contact with TLG volunteers.

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY MAY 2017

Adopt a Tree for $5: Restore Borjomi Forest Campaign

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

Info Box

B

orjomi National Park is one of the largest in Europe, with many unique plants and rare trees.

Agadgine.ge is a new campaign launched by the Business Information Agency (BIA) and Treepex Startup to restore the areas of Borjomi Forest badly burned during the 2008 August War. A 950-hectare area which had pine and leafy trees was damaged, with 250 hectares completely destroyed.

The damaged areas are not renewing themselves naturally, leading to the danger of landslides and floods.

The local population has lost social benefits and economic revenue from the forest, and the air quality has also become worse.

The first-of-its-kind in Georgia campaign offers both individuals and companies the chance to adopt trees, which will be planted and cared for during the first five years of their lives. Companies that contribute to the restoration of an area of forest will have that area given the name of the company. The restored area and number of trees will be clearly visible on a map which will also display the company’s logo. Individual people can also buy a tree, name it and have it mapped.

A calculator will count the amount

15

Burned Forest of Borjomi: “During the war between Russia and Georgia, in August 2008, the territory of Borjomi National Park was bombed by Russian aircraft several times, which caused a forest fire. This photo was shot a couple of months later, spots of new grass burst through the ashes.” Nika Tsiklauri

Look at the picture. Write down or talk about how trees are important.

Bank. “One of the first things we did was to plant 2017 Georgian pine trees in Borjomi-Kharagauli Park, towards the rehabilitation of the burned forest. It was a symbolic New Year gift for our partners. This project was important both in terms

of Carbon Dioxide absorbed by the trees planted, and if you buy a tree, you will get a certificate.

At time of press, 24,900 of the planned 750,000 trees have been adopted. The “deadline” for this massive project is August 8, 2017 the anniversary of the war that damaged the area.

One eager participant in forest restoration this year is PASHA Bank.

“In 2016, we decided that in 2017 PASHA Bank would actively participate in green projects, and we’ve made a number of serious steps in that direction,” said Anano Korkia, the marketing manager of PASHA

of rehabilitation works and in terms of raising awareness about the problem. We hope that more private sector representatives will join this generous initiative.”

Go to: aghadgine.ge/ka

Food for Thought  Are there enough trees in the area where you live / work / study?  How can we persuade people to plant more trees?  Make some posters or a facebook campaign and plant trees with your friends!

What’s That?

Restore – bring back, fix Damaged – hurt (burned) Landslides – when land moves downhill Revenue – (way) to earn money Campaign – project Adopt – take responsibility to protect Display – show PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

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