School Loses Its Profile and Teachers Lose Their Salaries

Several days ago, members of the Musical Boarding School petitioned at the Kutaisi local government office. They insisted that finances from the local budget be apportioned to their school. “The central government has deprived us from every chance. We rely on the compassion of the local government. If they deny us the necessary funds, we will have no choice but to dismiss the children and will also lose the small salaries we received,” the teachers said.

The Kutaisi Public School #44 was a musical boarding school before 2006. The Ministry of Education and Science allocated the school an annual budget of 393, 000GEL. This year the Ministry reduced the fund by 200, 000GEL, which resulted in the liquidation of the school’s musical department. Consequently, both teachers and pupils’ parents and guardians are angered with this decision and are highly concerned with the future of their pupils and children.

“Most of the children are orphans or lack parental care. In addition, these children receive compulsory and musical education and they live in the building. There are children who have neither parents nor guardians; several of them have mothers who do not visit their children even during the holidays. How am I supposed to explain this terrible news to the children? I cannot tell them to go home because the state cannot fund them any more,” said Elvard Arsenidze, the director of the school.

The educational reform, that was launched last year, put the existence of the boarding school under question last year. Moreover, in 2006 the school was granted with the status of public school. Thus, the school was able to continue functioning as a boarding school and gave qualified lessons in music. The school board made such a decision last year and nobody regrets it now. However, the problem regarding the reduction of funding remains the most crucial issue and is currently being widely discussed.

“Although the Ministry of Education abolished the school’s music department and reduced funding, teachers continue to conduct both theoretical and practical lessons. Teachers do not want their pupils to go somewhere else with their instruments in their hands. Yesterday, the head of the board asked me whether it was necessary to dismiss the teachers or not. I responded by saying that they should continue working. I do not want the children, who already have enough problems at such early ages, to be forced to find other teachers,” said Arsenidze.

The director hopes that the local government will not doom the traditional school and find some finances to assist the school. Officials from the Kutaisi City Hall are not refusing to provide aid to the school. However, the problem is far from being resolved and the fate of the school remains unclear. “The local self-government considers it reasonable to finance the school up until the end of the year. The money required amounts to 50, 000 GEL. However, I cannot assert that the local authority will certainly fund the school,” said Makhvala Kobuladze, the head of the Education City Service of the Kutaisi Local Self-government.

Under the Georgian Law on Compulsory Education, Article  23 section III and Article 27 section I, the local government has the authority to distribute the necessary funds to the school from its budget, that is of course if officials understand the benefits of supporting education. If the local authorities refuse to continue funding the school, the director will be forced to dismiss nearly 65 employees and will also have to find finances to distribute the salaries in January. Regarding the intended reduction, Arsenidze is not talking about the old communist-era staff, (for example, the person who was to see pupils to the classroom, etc.). Such positions were abolished long ago.

Last year, 272 pupils studied in the musical boarding school and 192 of them were also living there. This year, the number of the pupils was reduced. Officials from the school said that the situation is grave for the future. The instruments will soon require maintenance and we will have to leave them in the archives. There are nearly a hundred kinds of musical instruments in the school and some of them are unique in Georgia. The brass band of the school was the only musical band in the town to perform to the guests of the local government.

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi