Conflict between Rector of Tbilisi State University and Students

Small incident took place in Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

When the rector of the university Sandro Kvitashvili and the Minister of Education and Science Dimitri Shashkin were congratulating the students the start of new academic year, the members of the initiative group of students Laboratory 1918 visited the event and protested against the education quality and irrelevance of the prices.

“Do not Lie to the Students,” “No to Authoritarian Education,” “Education Reform Collapsed,” “Prices High, Quality Low” – these kinds of posters irritated the university administration.

As the member of the initiative group Khatia Chkhenkeli stated the education provided for the students does not cost 2250 GEL and the student local government “does the government’s job.”

As a response, the rector Sandro Kvitashvili noted that there is a group of students which talks about the problems with administration and offers the ways for the solution and another group which protests against everything.

“When the university students state that they have been studying here for four years and have not received anything but still pass the exams for Master’s and Doctorate’s degree, they either have a different problem which is unknown for us or they are making wrong decision. If some people have pathological contempt towards this place, they can leave,” – Sandro Kvitashvili stated.

The members of initiative group requested the rector to promise that the members of the initiative group will not be physically insulted anymore. Sandro Kvitashvili stated it was hysterics and noted that the students have never been insulted physically.