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Disagreement between the Teachers at Public School of the Village of Dagva

August 20, 2007

Members of the Tutorial Council and teachers at the Public School in the village of Dagva within the Kobuleti Municipality were divided in two parts. The reason for argument was computer training course that started at school.

Interim Director of the school, Fati Inaishvili stated the course started illegally without administration’s permission. Recently elected director, Leila Manvelidze said that the situation tensed to annul the election results at school. One part of pupils and their parents also dislike the computer course. They state pupils must learn computer programs for free.

“Gulnara Manelishvili teaches informatics at our school. Koba Khabazi presented us with two computers and Ministry of Education granted three more. Revaz Abashidze teaches mathematics at school and is also a chairman of the Tutorial Council. In December of 2006 and in January and February of 2007 teachers opened computer course without asking permission from me. Pupils received certificates for what they paid 150 lari,” said Fati Inaishvili.

Revaz Abashidze said that he started the course on the basis of labor contract drawn up with the Batumi Public School # 15. Elected director and Abashidze claim that interim director was informed about their activities.

“I asked the school director to make the computer courses paid; consequently the school would have income and the pupils would also be satisfied with courses. She refused saying it had no sense to sign documents because there would be enough income to record officially. I applied to the administration of Batumi Public School #15 and they employed me as a teacher and signed contracts with some other teachers as well,” said Abashidze.

Merab Kakaladze, (former member of the Tutorial Council) assesses Abashidze’s activities as corruption. “As soon as I learned about the situation I informed the interim director and then secretary of the Tutorial Council. The latter hit the application in my face and threatened to appeal against me at the Prosecutor’s Office. Leila Manvelidze, candidate for the directorship, made me tear off the appeal. If I did not obey she threatened to appeal the Prosecutor’s Office against me and to demand 5 000 lari as moral compensation.”

Leila Manveldize said that the reason for disagreement was director’s positions. My child also learned informatics for free and even though I had paid money for classes, nobody would have anything to do with it. As for as I know, Revaz Abashidze signed a contract with Gocha Davitadze. They started the argument before the elections premeditatedly. I did not take part in this discussion. I had no right because I was only a candidate. The conflict started because of director elections”

Almost every pupil, who received certificates, had applied to the interim director of the Dagva Public School. “I took three-month-course and have no complaints about training. I paid 150 lari. There were seven pupils in my group. Then director called us and asked to write notification about our course; I wrote there the same I have just said,” said Miranda Zoidze, a pupil of the tenth form.

“I teach physics at school. My child asked me to let him attend computer classes. I agreed happily because initially nobody mentioned payment. Finally I learned that I was to pay 150 lari. I paid ninety lari for the certificate. The trainer told me he was not going to take more money because of respect to me. But, later on they asked me to pay other sixty lari too,” said Marina Jakeli, mother of Aksana Kirchkheli.

One of the pupils, Gogita Karaputadze wrote in his notice that “Revaz Abashidze initially demanded 100 lari and next day he increased the price to 150 lari. The courses lasted three months (December of 2006, January and February of 2007). In February Abashidze’s friend passed the certificate to me without exams.” It is noteworthy that the certificate of Kaputadze is dated by December 18 2006 and Aksana Kirchkheli’s certificate is dated by December 26 2006.

Gocha Davitadze, director of the Batumi Public School # 15 has his own opinion regarding the situation. “As for dates it might be technical mistake. We have never signed a contract with Dagva Public School. Pupils should have attended classes at Batumi Public School # 15. However, it was difficult for children to get to the city from the village so we used computers of the Dagva Public School. Payment for the course was transferred to the bank account of Public School # 15 and we paid 380 lari to Revaz Abashidze as a salary.”

Inaishvili stated that the school should have had additional income from the courses but it did not happen. “They used the building, equipments and electricity of the school. Abashidze acted willfully and school had no profit from his course.”

Abashidze denies accusations against him based on following reasons: “Although we did not transfer money to the school budget, the school profited much. Public School # 15 provided me with educational programs, literature and I increased my qualification without extra expenses. The Batumi school sent all installation disks and repaired our computers for free.”

Merab Kakaladze appealed to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Adjara Autonomous Republic regarding the controversy. The General Inspection invited the parties for discussion. Fati Inaishvili said that elected director could not bear her responsibilities. However, Leila Manvelidze categorically denies the accusation and stated that representatives of the Ministry told her everything was clear regarding the situation.

“General Inspection of the Ministry has already interrogated opposed parties, however the question is still under consideration and we cannot make any comments regarding the situation. As for elected director of the school, against whom the ministry has received appeals, the Minister refused to register the appeal,” said Shorena Makhachadze, Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sport of Adjara Autonomous Republic.

Lawyer Aslan Chanidze, an expert in educational issues, considers that the rights of teachers are blatantly violated because of the situation. “If the school was granted with computers, and consequently they had enough sources for giving lessons, the school should have trained pupils for free. The school can enjoy its property for extra income. However, those programs should not equal school programs. In this particular case, the school could invite those students to learn computer programs who were not their pupils. The state granted the school with computers in order to teach pupils for free. “

Emzar Diasamidze, Batumi

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