Georgia Today Education #23 April Issue

EDUCATION www.georgiatoday.ge

Issue no: 023

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• APRIL 2019

• PUBLISHED MONTHLY

FOCUS ON GEORGIA’S #1 TEACHER We bring you an exclusive and inspiring interview with Lado Apkhazava and find out how he and pupils are becoming true global citizens.

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PRICE: GEL 2

In this issue...

Salon Étudiant francophone «Choisir la France – Choose France» PAGE 2

Vocational Education & Training: Why Georgia Needs It PAGE 3

UCMAS: A WorldLeading Abacus & Mental Arithmetic Program, Now in Georgia!

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GZAAT Grade 11s Raise Money to Support Village Near Tskhinvali Region PAGE 6

The Next Paper Collection Contest Kicks Off- Save Your Waste!

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Ivane Matchvariani on Financing Education TRANSLATED BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

F

unding for the education sector will gradually increase to 6% of the total GDP of our budget by 2022 - stated Ivane Matchavariani, the Minister of Finance of Georgia.

“The budget for 2022 should be set in a way that 6% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product- მშპ) is spent on the education sector. To

reach this value, it is important to increase financing gradually. The financial assistance for the education sector will reach 2 billion GEL by 2020, 2.5 billion GEL by 2021, and will be more than 3 billion GEL by 2022. General, preschool, and professional education will be the main directions of the reform. The budget for higher education and sciences will also be increased,” noted the Minister.

“Various studies show that we have a low indicator in general education on the regional and global scales.

This means that the way schools work needs to be completely changed. More independence should be given in what students learn at school and the school certificate should be given much more importance,” he said.

The Minister focused on the need to improve school infrastructure, raise the qualification of teachers and give teachers better salaries.

“Construction of new schools and the modernization of current infra-

structure is vital and needs a lot of money, which we have planned in the budget. The number of pupils in classes is another problem that needs modern standards. It is also important to interest youngsters and motivate them to be teachers in Georgian schools in future- teaching has to be the top profession in the country. That is why these reforms are key for the success of these reforms,” Matchavariani concluded.

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Salon Étudiant francophone «Choisir la France – Choose France»

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e samedi 6 avril 2019, l’Institut Français de Géorgie et l’agence Campus France ont organisé à Tbilissi le premier salon étudiant «Choisir la France» dédié aux établissements de l’enseignement supérieur français.

L’événement a eu lieu toute la journée à la Bibliothèque Nationale de Géorgie en présence d’une douzaine d’établissements français, avec comme invité d’honneur la nouvelle Université FrancoGéorgienne.

Le salon avait pour objectif de promouvoir non seulement les études en France mais aussi la coopération franco-géorgienne dans l’éducation supérieure. Entre 200 et 300 visiteurs ont visité le salon «Choisir la France».

Sites utiles Institut français de Géorgie: ifg.ge Campus France: https://www.campusfrance.org/fr Université Franco-Géorgienne: https://fgu.ge

L’AGENCE CAMPUS FRANCE Campus France est une agence publique française chargée de la promotion de l’enseignement supérieur, de l’accueil des étudiants étrangers et de la mise en œuvre de programmes de mobilité internationale.

Elle s’appuie sur un réseau international de plus de 220 bureaux dans 117 pays dont la Géorgie. Le bureau géorgien est situé à Tbilissi et reçoit toute l’année les personnes intéressées par les études en France.

Ces personnes peuvent obtenir des informations et de l’aide pour leurs démarches administratives.

POURQUOI ÉTUDIER EN FRANCE? La France est une destination d’étude populaire pour les étudiants Internationaux. Les principales raisons sont, notamment: la qualité de l’enseignement et la reconnaissance des diplômes français, le coût des études le plus bas d’Europe, un large choix de spécialités et de diplômes en français et en anglais. Une autre raison est bien sûr l’expérience LES BOURSES POUR ÉTUDIER estudiantine très enrichissante quelle que soit la ville choisie.

La France accueille 650 étudiants géorgiens inscrits en Licence, Master ou Doctorat. Chaque année, une vingtaine d‘étudiants de master reçoit une bourse conjointe du gouvernement français et du centre International de l’Éducation de Géorgie. Les étudiants sont sélectionnés sur concours puis étude de leur dossier par un jury bilatéral. La bourse couvre les frais d’inscription, une allocation mensudédié: მიძღვნილი elle pendant 10 mois ainsi que l’accompagnement et l’accueil personun établissement de l’enseignement supérieur: nalisé sur place par Campus France. Les meilleurs étudiants géorgiens უმაღლესი საგანმანათლებლო დაწესებულება peuvent ainsi continuer leurs études en France dans des universités un invité d’honneur: საპატიო სტუმარი prestigieuses et suivre des formations en français ou en anglais.

Mots clés

promouvoir: პოპულარიზაცია, l’éducation supérieure: უმაღლესი განათლება la mise en œuvre: განხორციელება notamment: განსაკუთრებით la reconnaissance: აღიარება estudiantin (e): სტუდენტური enrichissante(e): გამამდიდრებელი une bourse: სტიპენდია une Licence: ბაკალავრი un Master: მაგისტრატურა un Doctorat: დოქტორანტურა conjoint(e): ერთობლივი un label: დასახელება, მარკა un double diplôme: ორმაგი დიპლომი un diplôme délocalisé: დელოკალიზირებული დიპლომი

L’UNIVERSITÉ FRANCO-GÉORGIENNE (FGU) Pour les étudiants qui souhaitent bénéficier de la qualité de l’enseignement supérieur français mais préfèrent étudier en Géorgie, il existe une solution: l’université Franco-Géorgienne. Il s’agit d’accords entre des universités françaises et géorgiennes regroupées sous le label Université FrancoGéorgienne. À partir de septembre 2019, ces universités proposeront aux étudiants géorgiens une série de doubles diplômes et de diplômes délocalisés dans les secteurs du tourisme, de l’agriculture et de l’informatique.

Les futurs étudiants pourront donc obtenir un diplôme français sans quitter la Géorgie.

Matière à réflexion  Et toi, aimerais-tu étudier en France? Pourquoi?  Quelles sont les universités françaises reconnues en Géorgie ?

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Vocational Education & Training: Why Georgia Needs It

BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

A

griculture is one of Georgia’s biggest sectors but because of a lack of education and the right infrastructure, it remains underdeveloped and uncompetitive.

Another problem is the skills people have compared to what the modern market needs. In Georgia, a country with a high unemployment rate, there is an alarming number of unemployed people and job vacancies without qualified people to fill them.

Switzerland supports many projects to develop agriculture in Georgia and to raise public awareness about how important this sector is for the country. Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Agriculture is one of the Swiss-supported projects, implemented by the UNDP in Georgia and targeted at supporting the vocational education reform by establishing ways to teach people about agriculture. In addition, by introducing the Swiss model of vocational education, known as “dual vocational education,” where people learn AND work, the project plans to help

bridge the gap between skills and market demand.

Georgia has been implementing large-scale reforms and strategies in VET since 2013. New legislation was put into action last year which opens up new opportunities of vocational education for adults and youngsters, following the model of developed European countries. The Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze, recently announced that extensive finances will be allocated by the government to improve the current situation in the field of education, including in vocational education.

During Soviet times there was only one design for the vocational education sector, meaning people of all ages were put in the same programs which lasted 1.5 to 2 years. It was an inefficient system and left students, both young and old, demotivated.

Supported by the vocational education project, now there is a system that is suitable for all ages and, what is even more important, after graduating, all students get official certificates recognized by the government. This will help them to find jobs in agriculture- a good deal for students, employers, and the government!

What’s That?

A lack of – not enough Underdeveloped – not developed enough Unemployment rate – the number of people without jobs Alarming – shocking Raise – increase Implemented – done, worked on Bridge the gap – close the space, fix the differences Demand – need Large-scale – big Extensive – a lot of Allocated – given (for a special purpose) Inefficient – it worked badly Suitable – good for Tailored – adapted to, made especially for

Info Box VET IN SWITZERLAND VET is already a big priority for the development of agriculture in Switzerland. The Swiss high standards and methods guarantee that real professionals come out of the program with the right skills and knowledge. 65% of youngsters graduate from VET colleges in Switzerland. The VET program is popular for its balanced combination of theoretical study and practical application. Thanks to this program, Switzerland is the country with the lowest unemployment rate among youths.

The students have a chance to get a high-quality education, improve their skills and use the theoretical knowledge they learn, in practice.

At the same time, employers will get qualified personnel and the government can develop the field of agriculture by spending less of its budget.

The involvement of the private

sector is always important, which is why Sectoral Skills Councils will be created with the participation of sectoral associations. These Councils will be involved in validating the VET qualification framework to make VET education demanddriven and tailored to employers’ needs.

Food for Thought  How many things (fruit and vegetables) can you think of that Georgian farmers grow and sell on the market?  Compare a dual vocational course with a standard university course. What are the differences? Which would YOU choose and why?

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MIA Launches New Road Safety Campaign ‘For More Life’

BY THEA MORRISON

G

eorgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has presented a new social campaign called ‘For More Life’ to increase people’s awareness about road safety.

As part of the campaign, crashed cars were installed upside-down on steel posts in Tbilisi and in the regions, while banners and video clips were shown countrywide.

“The goal of the social campaign is to make each citizen think about the tragic consequences of violating traffic rules,” said Minister of Internal Affairs, Giorgi Gakharia.

In parallel to the new campaign, the ministry also presented a Road Safety Action Plan for the rest of the year. One part of this is an increase in the number of patrol police crews by the end of the year.

MIA also plans to launch numberplate mobile detecting systems which will help patrol police to identify risk drivers and check them within the limits of the law. The MIA also plans to install over 5,000 video cameras, including 2100 smart ones.

What’s That?

Awareness – what people know/understand Countrywide – all around the country Consequences – results Violating – breaking, not following Crews – teams Launch – start Detecting – identifying, recognizing He noted that Georgia leads in both the region and in Europe for the number of people who die on the road. The number of accidents increased from 6,079 in 2017 to 6,452 in 2018, claiming the lives of almost 1000 people.

“Neither the MIA, Roads Department or Health Ministry can solve this problem alone: it is a challenge for all society,” he said, adding that the main reasons for traffic accidents are speeding, driving in the wrong lane, not obeying traffic signs and drink-driving.

Food for Thought  Why do so many people die on the road in Georgia? What can we do to change it?

Info Box

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UCMAS: A World-Leading Abacus & Mental Arithmetic Program, Now in Georgia!

What’s That?

Launch – start of a project/company Scientifically-proven – tested by experts and found to be good Enhance – make stronger Knowledgeable – what you learn/know Deserve – should have Tool – something you use Enriching – making stronger and better Expand – make bigger

BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

O

n March 31, Tbilisi City Municipality Assembly hosted the launch of one of the world’s leading abacus and mental arithmetic programs, UCMAS, in Georgia. The program was introduced to the Georgian audience by the owner of the UCMAS national franchise, Smartman Copmany.

Many guests came, including politicians, education experts, journalists and celebrity parents. Young guests enjoyed having their hands and faces painted while both children and adults took photos with the GIF machine and a professional photographer. The Gori Girls’ Choir performed a number of songs, including popular works of the beloved Queen band.

UCMAS has educational courses which have already been given to more than 2.5 million children in nearly 6,000 centers in 81 countries of 5 continents. The unique and scientifically-proven brain development program is recommended for children aged 4-14 and helps to enhance their basic learning skills, including: concentration, observation, imagination and memory.

“We believe every child, no matter

where and when, should always get an equal chance to have a better and more knowledgeable quality of life,” said Sahar Harb, the Cofounder of Smartman. “Children are every country’s strongest resource: they are the future leaders, the voices of the nation. Children deserve the best!”

Dr. Snehal Karia, the President and CEO of UCMAS India, Canada and USA and Mr. Alexan Wong, Operation Director at UCMAS Headquarters – the chief guests of the event, addressed the attendees. Dr. Karia spoke about the importance of developing different skills in children, to help them to work well in the fast pace of modern life.

“UCMAS helps students to develop these important life skills,” Karia said. “While playing on this exciting tool called an abacus, a student is enriching their brain with enhanced cognitive skills like perception, time management, multitasking, and the very useful power of estimation, besides developing COMIC JARS: Concentration, Observation, Memory, Imagination, Creativity, Judgment, Application, and Reasoning which finally builds up the self-confidence of the child.”

“In UCMAS, we have a goal to provide a different education that can help stimulate the brain activity and increase our brain to be

Food for Thought  Lado said new things can “help parents and children to expand their global outlook and overcome fear of the new!” Why might some people be scared of new things?

well-equipped for the challenges our children may face in the near future,” said Mr. Wong. He also provided examples of recent studies, which showed the success of the UCMAS students.

Lado Apkhazava, one of the most popular teachers in Georgia, who was named among the Top 10 finalists of the 2019 Global Teacher Prize, was also a guest at the event. He spoke to the audience, supporting

the launch of all novelties and modern methodologies in the Georgian education sector which will “help parents and children to expand their global outlook and overcome fear of the new!”

The event concluded with a demonstration of the UCMAS system of calculating with an abacus, taught to volunteer guest children in just 20 minutes, and a delicious mixed buffet.

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Behind the Curtain at the Animal Circus Scene from the new Disney anti-animal circus ‘Dumbo’ movie.

Source: arstechnica.com

Food for Thought  What do you think about ‘cruelty to animals’? Think of some examples you have seen or heard about in your country.  Work in pairs or groups. Make a poster telling people about cruelty to animals and present it to your class.

Info Box Go to Petakids.com to find lots of ways to have fun while helping animals, not hurting them.

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

I

like to have fun, but circuses, zoos and marine parks are no fun for animals. Elephants used in circuses are forced to travel all over the country and are chained up for hours. In the wild, they would walk for miles every day. Have you ever seen elephants stand on their head in the wild? No? That’s because they don’t.

Animals in zoos live in enclosures that are hundreds of times smaller than where they would live in the wild. I wouldn’t want to live in a cage with a bunch of people staring at me all day. Animals don’t like it either. How can kids learn about wild animals by looking at them locked up in cages? That’s not natural at all. It makes the animals feel really stressed. They can even get so stressed out that they go crazy.

Marine parks keep dolphins and whales in small tanks. That’s like living in a bath- all they can do is swim in circles. In the wild, they can swim for kilometers with their families every day. They should live in big groups and they get lonely by themselves.

The people who run the zoos, circuses and marine parks don’t really care about the animals. They just use them to make money. That’s why, if you love animals, you should never go to a zoo, marine park or animal circus. [Source: PetaKids.com] On May 4, the Yuri Nikulin Circus will visit Georgia from Russia. They use monkeys, lions, tigers and dogs in their circus shows, but we have seen a lot of documentary evidence to show that circus animals are kept in unsuitable and unbearable conditions. The trainers get them to do tricks by using pain- hitting them with sticks or giving them

What’s That?

Chained – tied, stopped from moving Enclosures – closed areas Bunch – group, many Staring – looking Run – direct, control, manage Evidence – proof, examples (videos and photos) Unsuitable – not right Unbearable – very bad, hard to live in Cruelty – do a very bad thing, hurting others Banned – made illegal

Source: Petakids.com

electric shocks so that they are afraid. Sometimes they make them hungry so they will perform for food. They live and travel in small cages which are sometimes dirty.

Sometimes, when they are hurt, no vet comes to help them.

The conditions in the circus and the way the animals are treated can make them stressed or sad. Sometimes they become aggressive or hurt themselves.

Using animals in circuses has no educational or conservation function. It is only for entertainment and to make money for the circus company. When we buy a ticket to watch a circus show in which animals are being used, we are helping this cruelty to happen!

Animal circuses are not so popular these days and there are many circus companies which give exciting

shows but don’t use animals, like Cirque du Soleil, Circus Vargas, Circus Oz, and Cirque Productions.

Colombia, Croatia, Costa Rica, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Scotland, Singapore, Israel, Finland, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, India, and Peru are countries which have banned animal circuses.

Georgia needs to stop animal cruelty. No animals should not be used in circus performances and it should be made illegal in Georgia. Instead, we should invite foreign circus companies who do not use animals in their shows. And because Georgia has its own talented acrobats, illusionists, jugglers, clowns and dancers, we could launch a Georgian circus, making new jobs for people in a humane circus without animals!

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From Progress to NASA: Double-degree American Accredited School ‘Progress’ in Tbilisi Info Box

BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

T

he Tbilisi branch of the American International High SchoolCollege ‘Progress’ welcomed its first pupils just two years ago, in 2017, and it is already very popular!

High principles and moral values, each child treated with special care and respect and the goal to bring up a generation of developed critical-thinkers has contributed a lot to the success of Progress.

The founders of the Tbilisi branch of the school work hard to create an environment where pupils can develop themselves through a variety of thought-provoking activities. There are no boring classes at Progress, and no book-based classes either! Instead, teachers work with the pupils to make lessons engaging and fun. Pupils feel free to put what they learn into practical use in multiple projects.

For this, the Progress team recently won the Millennium Innovation Challenge for the ‘Barn’s Smart Labyrinth’, created after dozens of

hours of work and experiments with the aim of improving memory through medicine. The 5 winning school pupils will travel to the NASA Space Center in the USA to join the 2019 NASA Summer Education Program. Winning such competitions means that youngsters can discover the world and motivate other pupils to work hard and come out on top in numerous fields.

Science is not the only sphere the School-College pays attention to, as Literature and Humanities are also very important. The school has a reading club, where pupils have a chance to read books, lead debates and share their emotions and views with their friends. They also get to meet and talk to contemporary writers and expand their global outlook through discussions.

Dato Turashvili, famous Georgian writer and the author of many popular novels, was one of the guests at Progress. Such meetings help pupils learn how to communicate with adults and to become more independent.

The school also organizes fieldtrips so pupils can learn something which is not in their school books. They

Georgian-American School ‘Progress’ got recognition as an international Georgian-American school-college in 2014. This means it can offer integrated education between the two countries and give students a two-degree system.

Students can choose the subjects they want to study in the final grades, taught in English. After passing the exams, the marks are counted as credits and students can apply to leading universities in Europe, the UK and USA. At the end of their studies at ‘Progress’, students get Georgian and American certificates.

recently visited the State Museum of Georgian Folk Songs and Instruments where they discovered photo and audio-video archives, as well as different types of musical instruments of Georgian, Asian and European origin.

The school administration encourages the pupils to protect the environment through different activities.

Members of the School’s Eco-Club carry out projects in Tbilisi for environment preservation and raising public awareness by volunteering to clean city parks and present-

ing information about the significance of waste management to the public.

The American International High School-College ‘Progress’ is the one of the best educational institutions in Georgia, guaranteeing the formation of well-developed, intelligent individuals who have a wide global outlook and high level of social responsibility; who will be able to continue their studies at any leading American and European university, become engaged in global academic dialogues and become true global citizens.

What’s That?

Principles – your ideas about how things should be done Thought-provoking – it makes you think Engaging – interesting Fieldtrips – days out of the school, excursions Encourages – pushes, makes them want to do Raising – lifting, increasing Volunteering – working for free (without pay)

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Fun Facts: The Most Popular Names in Georgia

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

T

he Public Service Development Agency revealed that, statistically, the names George and Nino are the most common names in Georgia. There are 191,390 people named George living in the country, and 191,390 Ninos.

Other popular boys’ names include

Davit (67,418), Aleksandre (41,270), Luka (38,670), Nikoloz (36,239), Irakli (35,940) and Zurab (31,606).

Popular girls names include: Mariam (67,406), Tamar (50,393), Anna (47,662) Maia (47,349), Nana (42,706), Natia (38,246), Elene (34,825), Manana (34,236), Ketevan (32,572) and Natela (29,191) have been listed as the most popular.

As for last names, data from the Public Service Development Agency says that the most common last names

Food for Thought  Use the chart to do a survey in your class/school. Which are the most popular boys and girls names? Which are the most popular last names? Which are the most uncommon names? Don’t forget to include your teachers’ names, too!  Make a poster to show the results of your survey and present what you found to another class.

in Georgia are: Beridze (29,055), which tops the list, followed by Kapanadze (19,182),Gelashvili(18,265),Maisuradze (16,194), Mamedov (14,735), Giorgadze (14,145), Lomidze (13,054) Tsiklauri (12,996), Mamedova (12,779) and CHILDREN Boys Names

CHILDREN Girls Names

Bolkvadze (12,730).

Nozadze, Kvaratskhelia, Khutsishvili, Abuladze, Mikeladze, Shengelia, Tabatadze, Abashidze, Aliev and Diasamidze are also among the most common last names in Georgia.

ADULT Names

LAST Names

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Ombudsman Says Suicide Rate in Underage up by 20%

BY THEA MORRISON

T

he Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria, says that suicide cases and suicide attempts have increased in Georgia by 20% in recent years.

“The suicide rate is much higher in the underage: 20% higher compared to previous years. This indicates that the State does not have a systemic way to deal with violence against children or to fight

against bullying,” she added.

Lomjaria says that, in general, violence against children is very common in Georgia, adding it is a “hidden problem” in the country.

“Children’s rights are ignored by adults. Violence is a very frequent and serious problem in families and schools, where both children and adults think it is ‘normal’,” she said.

The Public Defender added that Georgia does not even have a shelter for child sexual abuse victims.

“The country has serious problems in this field. We must support our children,” she said.

Info Box

Food for Thought  Why might young people commit suicide? What can classmates, parents and teachers do to stop it from happening?

SPEAK OUT, REACH OUT! If you need help, or you think someone you know needs help, call 112. You are not alone!

What’s That?

Suicide – a person who kills themselves Attempts – tries Increased – gone up, higher in number Underage – under 18 years old Previous – before Indicates – shows, suggests Systemic – fixed, planned, standard Bullying – making someone feel bad with words Ignored – when people pretend they don’t exist Shelter – a safe place to go and stay Sexual abuse – hurting someone in a sexual way

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GZAAT Grade 11s Raise Money to Support Village Near Tskhinvali Region

BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

T

he Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi (GZAAT) is one of the best educational institutions in Georgia, guaranteeing a high-quality education and brilliant academic future for its students and being distinguished for its great sense of social responsibility. The Academy often engages in various social projects or initiates them itself, contributing to the formation of developed and responsible individuals and life-long learners.

One of the most recent activities was organized by the students of the 11th grade of GZAAT. The socalled creeping occupation of Russia in the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), represents one of the most painful problems for the Georgian nation. The residents of the occupied territories are deprived of access to the facilities needed to live comfortably and well, yet they firmly resist the suppressive regime and refuse to leave their homes. Inspired by their courage and moral strength, the GZAAT students decided to use their resources and give a helping hand to the locals of the AkhaliKhurvaleti village, located adjacent to the occupied region of Tskhinvali, and organized a charity event.

The initiative was joined by a great number of volunteers: a sales-exhibition brought together multiple

works of contemporary painters and handmade items; the GZAAT band played music at the event and an auction for the paintings of prominent Georgian artists was held to raise money.

With joint energy, courage, dedication, hard work and mutual aspirations, the youngsters managed to organize a wonderful charity evening in limited time and still get fruitful results, collecting 15,000 GEL, which will be used to help those living in Akhali-Khurvaleti.

“We always had the creeping occupation and its negative results very much in mind,” GZAAT student and one of the event organizers, Ana Kostava, told us. “We wanted to somehow help the residents of the region and give them some relief in their difficult lives. That’s how the idea of organizing a charity event was born.”

“There were three students, including myself, in charge of the organization of the charity event. At the

inception it was relatively small in scale and took place only within the limits of our school. We could never imagine that so many people would support us and engage in the project. We started our initiative by collecting different items and calling on our friends to make donations. However, we soon saw that it was possible to expand it and started contacting different startups and telling them about our aspirations.”

Ana recalls how exciting it was to see the enthusiasm of entrepreneurs to help the residents of Khurvaleti by donating their products for the sales-exhibition.

“After the successful collaboration with the startups, we took one more step forward and decided to involve various painters in our project. As a result, we were able to present 15 paintings at the auction and collect an impressive amount of money, over 15,000 GEL. The interest of public and media was high, which as a result contributed to the success of the event,” she said.

GEORGIA TODAY asked her how the money will be spent.

“We are actively communicating with one of the locals of Khurvaleti, who helps us to set the priorities.

Some residents of the local charity home for elderly people have problems moving about, so we already sent funds for the installation of a platform-lift which will help to solve this problem. We also have a special list of the needs of the village population, according to which we have purchased various items and clothes for the children and adults which are not available on the territory of

Khurvaleti. We’re going to have those items distributed by the Easter holidays,” Kostava told us.

“We wanted to arrange a charity event for a very long time,” said Ana Zamtaradze, another organizer of the evening. “The idea to help the residents of Khurvaleti was born after a lot of discussions and investigation. We didn’t plan to launch such a large-scale at the beginning. But the goal proved to be very important for the students of the GZAAT, as well as for other individuals. The evening was attended by a huge number of guests and we received a wonderful outcome. We are now trying to purchase all the necessary supplies for the adults and minors of the Khurvaleti village and help them in this way,” noted Zamtaradze.

Anno Charelishvili, the third organizer, also shared her emotions and impressions regarding the recent event.

“Russian occupation is a very painful challenge for our generation.

We were thinking for months about how we could assist the residents of the occupied territories and finally came up with this idea. We were greatly supported by the representatives of different fields. A number of DJs contacted us and offered 50% of their income as a donation to the Khurvaleti village. It is certainly a wonderful feeling to be part of something important and to know that you are helping others. By organizing this charity event, we want to support adults, as well as minors, living near the occupation line,” Anno told us.

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Gamarjoba! I’m the Editor-inChief of the Georgian edition of Entrepreneur magazine and I’m here to share the top Entrepreneurial news with you:

Another success for Georgian wine!

The London market has expressed interest in particular wines of ‘Marani Kapistoni’. Company founder Nika Chochiashvili took on wine production to continue his grandfather’s traditional business, but he went into it knowing that due to the rareness of the grape varieties, ideal for higher price ranges, the products would be best for foreign markets. The business was launched with government grants, aiming to promote nearly extinct grape varieties. Currently, negotiations are ongoing with English businessmen, and interest has also been expressed by other countries.

Erti Kava café’s story began in Mestia two years ago when Tania Merzalia was travelling through Georgia with friends. Admiring and inspired by the country, its mountains and a love of coffee, the girls decided to start a business in Georgia. They had no idea about the marketing, but they took a risk and succeeded; producing well-loved coffee for mountain enthusiasts. A second branch of Erti Kava has been opened in Tbilisi, where guests can choose from 15 different coffees and Georgian teas. The coffee is European, the theme and interior Georgian. The girls now have their sights on Sighnagi and Batumi.

Kokoro is a Georgian lingerie brand launched by Nino Iosava ‘Kokoro’ and Koko Chikradze. Nino had always wanted this type of business and grew her experience to make it happen. Today, she is the Kokoro designer, while her spouse manages the finances. Due to the lack of resources on the local market, production takes place in Ukraine.

There are already plans for the further growth of the brand.

Swimwear is another line of Kokoro.

The founders also aspire to open a lingerie shop.

Discover Baratashvili 12, the hotel with a brand new concept of selfservice, launched by the founder of the Same Group, Giorgi Iaskadze.

Guests are met by special machines which will provide a unique code and room key after checking in, enabling them to enjoy the freedom of self-service. Isakadze claims this is a business which needs no human capital. Baratashvili 12 is a member of the Same Group, aiming to engage and develop the service quality provided at apart-hotels.

Covering other regions aside from Tbilisi is among the plans of the Group.

Geotoys is a new company on the Georgian toy market producing the eco-friendly wooden toys in accordance with European standards. David Katsitadze had the idea in 2005 and launched a quickly successful company. From the local market, Geotoys is now making its name on foreign markets through international exhibitions and contracts with European brands.

Negotiations with the German Goki and Greek Cerious companies are ongoing, while interest has also been expressed from The Netherlands, France and the UK. Test batches have been distributed and the technical equipment of the enterprise renovated for future production.

Mariam Sichinava is a photographer and the woman behind the online vintage clothes shop ‘Vintage Gal’. Before the startup, she had successfully collaborated with famous brands like Channel and Urban Outfitter. Sichinava has had photoshoots for the New York Magazine, Weekender and the Australian Vogue.

Exploring Parisian vintage shops inspired the photographer to launch her online store, which offers handmade vintage clothing. The company achieved fast success, with customer numbers on the rise and 95% of sales coming from foreign markets.

Follow the Entrepreneur Georgia Instagram page to get the latest updates from Georgian Entrepreneurs.

For doing business with Georgian Entrepreneurs, write us on business@entrepreneur.ge

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 2019

13

Lado Apkhazava: An Ordinary Man on an Extraordinary Mission EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

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ladimer (Lado) Apkhazava recently became one of the most important figures in Georgia by being named among the top ten finalists for the Global Teacher Prize which was organized by the Varkey Foundation under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, which this round saw more than 5000 applicants from 127 countries nominated.

Lado, a civics teacher from the small village of Chibati, Guria, western Georgia, says he is more a philanthropist than an ordinary teacher.

He is now renowned locally and abroad for applying various innovative methods to his teaching process.

The grandiose awards ceremony of the Global Teacher Prize was held on March 24, in Dubai, and had top celebrity Hugh Jackman announcing the results. Peter Tabichi, a teacher from Kenya, was named winner and recipient of an impressive prize of $1 million to put back into teaching.

Even though Lado didn’t win, he has brought incredible success to a country as small and little-known as Georgia, and, equally as important, he has begun to change the perspective of teaching as a profession.

GEORGIA TODAY met him to find out more about the awards and his path to success.

“Teaching is not my direct profession,” he tells us. “I stated this at my very first interview after getting the National Teachers Prize in 2017.

In 1993, in the highly corrupt times of post-Soviet Georgia, I applied for university. All places were already pre-arranged for students of the teaching faculty, so I ended up doing a degree in Economics and studying at the Theological Academy, which is where I became a teacher of Religious Studies.”

We asked why he had chosen to be a teacher.

“I decided to become a teacher in 8th grade,” Lado says. “I was a sensitive child and I put a lot of weight in the relationships between teachers and pupils. I could never tolerate a child being humiliated by a teacher and made notes in my pocket-book about it. I kept those notes and even today sometimes get them out to look back.”

We asked him how he had managed to succeed in his field.

“I act rather than dream,” he says.

“But before taking action, I think carefully about what I want to do and measure the risks. This is what helped me to come out on top.”

He also spoke about the challenges he has faced.

“There were difficult times in Georgia when I started teaching, as the country was acclimatizing as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union; trying to adapt to a new era.

I had to overcome various obstacles.

Sometimes I had no classes at all or had to deal with skepticism from the school administration and colleagues about the methods I used to teach. It took a lot to convince them of the importance of an informal education. It was a period when some might have walked away. But, by constantly exploring and sticking to my decisions, I stuck with it

and developed. The difficulties made me much stronger.”

From self-development, Lado next focused on helping his colleagues on their own paths of development “I decided to change the global outlook of my colleagues and in this way contribute to the major shifts in the education system. Negotiations are always better and more fruitful than disputes, and it’s always more effective to showcase even the smallest results of your efforts.

In Chibati, following several years of hard work, we have achieved positive outcomes and today have an established system of integrative teaching whereby the pupils are fully involved in all processes. We have also established a self-government institution, creating a small model of the state within the limits of the school. The needs of the youngsters are of paramount importance to the school administration.

Being well aware of this fact, the pupils are very eager to offer new initiatives and in doing so participate in the establishment of a democratic country,” Lado says.

He also highlights the results of the teaching methods applied at the Chibati Public School.

“We have succeeded in multiple ways by applying such methods.

The level of communication between adults and adolescents has increased

and the pupils have learnt the vital significance of appreciating other’s views. They have also developed a number of core skills, including presentation and critical thinking.

We have made major steps forwards in bringing up a new generation of active citizens with a high level of social responsibility, who will be able to face and overcome numerous obstacles, a vital skill in the modern world.”

The civics teacher also shared his experience and touched on some of the hundreds of projects he has carried out so far. One in particular caught our attention.

“I noticed the lack of tolerance between the Muslim and Christian members of our community and felt the need to act. I took my [Christian] pupils to the local mosque and gave a class there, focusing on the importance of respecting every individual, regardless of their faith and ethnicity, in a democratic state.

After several such classes, the whole community saw that the attitude of the representatives of different ethnicities had become much warmer.

I consider that to be important not only on a local level as, when my pupils travel abroad and meet new people, they will already be wellaware of the concept of equality and tolerance.”

He says that many well-established stereotypes in Georgian society can prevent teachers moving towards development and success. “This is a crucial issue that urgently needs to be remedied,” he tells us.

We asked him how his pupils inspired him.

“At school, we have a special box on the stairs where children can put ideas for teachers. Children need to feel that they and their opinions are important for adults.”

Thanks to his efforts to make positive changes to the Georgian education system, Lado Apkhazava was awarded the status of Varkey Foundation Ambassador. Despite such a triumph, he is very down-to-earth about it.

“I don’t consider myself distinguished. I’m an ordinary teacher just trying to work in the very best way,” he tells us.

14

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 2019

Shocking! 853 Prohibited Items Seized at Georgian Schools Info Box These are the rules of a school in the UK. What rules does YOUR school have?

BY THEA MORRISON

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rugs, a gun, knives, lighters, alcohol, electric shockers, electronic cigarettes, cards, and fireworks are among the 853 items seized by the Resource Officers at different Georgian schools between September 2018 and April 2019.

Georgia’s Ministry of Education reports that, in total, the officers seized: 1 gun, 56 knives, 13 sharp objects, 3 blunt objects, 25 cards or other gambling objects, 3 explosives or poisonous substances and

26 brass knuckles.

Four times pupils were caught using headphones, 294 smoking cigarettes and using lighters, 73 using fireworks; 21 taking alcohol into the school area and 20 taking drugs into the school area. 80 electric cigarettes were found, 1 electric shocker and 33 items for using drugs.

Last year, only 94 items were seized from schoolchildren and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA) Natia Mezvrishvili says that this year’s statistics show that the Resource Officers are working more effectively at schools.

“At the beginning of 2018, the Ministry launched a reform of the Office

What’s That?

Prohibited – not allowed Seized – taken, grabbed Blunt – not sharp (for hitting, not cutting) Gambling – playing for money Explosives – which can explode, fireworks Brass knuckles – metal rings for fingers- used in fights Caught – found doing something bad Effectively – with better results Strengthened – made stronger

of Resource Officers, to make it stronger and to make schools safer.

We can see from the results that the Office of Resource Officers is performing effectively, revealing violations and, where signs of crime are revealed, providing information to the MIA,” she said.

The Office of Resource Officers

was created in April 2010 within the ‘Safe School Program’ started by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

In 2018, a reform was launched which strengthened coordination between the Office of Resource Officers and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Food for Thought  Why were the items listed taken from the pupils? Why are they dangerous or bad to have/use in school?  Make a poster about it and present it to your class.

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 2019

15

The Next Paper Collection Contest Kicks Off- Reduce Your Waste!

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

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ood news for schools in Kakheti, Adjara, Shida Kartli and Tbilisi! The USAID WMTR II program implemented by CENN is bringing another competition for schools, asking them to collect as much paper waste as possible for recycling. And while the deadline to register YOUR school might have passed, you can still get started with a recycling program and join in next time!

The first round of the competition was very popular: 135 schools participated and collected aroud 53,000 kg of paper waste- that’s the same as more than 7,000 baby African elephants!

School teams of a maximum of five students and 1 teacher have one month to collect paper. A representative of the program then visits the schools to collect and weigh the paper waste.

The top 7 teams who collect the most win the competition.

Winners get to go to the Bulachauri

Green Center for a three-day eco camp where they can enjoy many interesting and interactive educational and informative activities.

The winners also get a gift package from Zero Effect in recognition of all they’ve done to help the environment.

PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Sofo Bochoidze

GEORGIA TODAY

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:

Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

Journalists: Tony Hanmer, Zaza Jgarkava, Maka Bibilashvili, Dimitri Dolaberidze, Vazha Tavberidze, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Thea Morrison, Samantha Guthrie, Amy Jones, Ketevan Kvaratskheliya Photographer: Irakli Dolidze

All participating schools also receive a financial voucher for every 100kg of paper waste they collect!

The last USAID WMTR II program’s (implemented by CENN) Paper Collection Contest saw schools in Kakheti, Shida Kartli, Adjara and Tbilisi joining in the contest.

The winners of the competition with the highest amount of collected paper waste were: 1. Khidistavi Public school – 2,500 kg (Shida Kartli) 2. Chakvi #1 Public School – 1,855 kg (Adjara) 3. Jikhanjuri Public School – 1,809.5 kg (Adjara) 4. Kareli #2 Public School – 1,700 kg (Shida Kartli) 5. Tbilisi #169 Public School – 1,683 kg (Tbilisi) 6. Alambari Public School – 1,600 kg (Adjara) 7. Tezeri Public School – 1,505 kg (Shida Kartli) The winners of the last competition went to the Winter Camp at the Bulachauri Green Center in Website Manager/Editor: Katie Ruth Davies Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava

February-March.

“We would like to thank every school that participated in the contest as well as the waste recycling companies who collected the paper waste from the schools,” the competition organizers said.

For more detailed information, please email: mariam.terterashvili@ cenn.org

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