Teachers Request the President to Keep His Promises

Tako Khutsishvili

Trade Union of Teachers and Scientists of Georgia celebrated the World Day of Teachers with demonstration in front of the Parliament of Georgia. The reason of their protest was declination of the legislative initiative which was signed by 60 000 teachers throughout the country and then submitted to the parliament in December of 2008. “Honorable salaries for every employee of the educational system, unlimited labor agreements for teachers, putting end to illegal firing of teachers,” these were main demands of the teachers at the demonstration. According to the draft-law teachers requested the government to allocate funds for the trainings, de-optimization of schools and restoration of educational status of nursery-schools.

“It is necessary to work out right system for encouraging the teachers. If the educated generation is not brought up in Georgia, the country will not have future; we will not find our place in the world and Georgians will live in poverty,” said the president on May 8 last year during his meeting with teachers in Teachers’ House in Tskneti. However, the Parliamentary Committee of Education, Science and Culture has not discussed the initiative yet.

Manana Ghurchumalidze, president of the Independent Trade Union of Teachers and Scientists, stated that the legislative initiative of the teachers is nothing more than what the president promised.

“In accordance to the Article 67 of the Constitution of Georgia we had right to submit the draft-law to the parliament. The deadline estimated by the procedural law has expired; however nobody discussed our imitative so far. 10 days ago we got in touch with Khatuna Ochiauri, deputy chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee of Education. She replied that none of our requests will be satisfied. Our demonstration aims to attract the attention of the president to remind him his promises,” said Ghurchumalidze.

Union of the Trade Unions of Georgia also joined the protest demonstration of teachers.

Tamar Lobjanidze, teacher of history: “The teachers have so important requests that only this demonstration will not change anything. Today, teacher is protected neither socially nor economically. The government should hear our protest.”

Christian-Democrat Party also joined the demonstration. Giorgi Targamadze, head of the party, stated that the future of Georgia depends on the development of the education system. “We support the initiative of teachers submitted to the parliament. We think it is priority for the country because Georgia will survive only if we have more qualified and educated people.”

Levan Vepkhvadze, a leader of the Christian-Democrat Party, raised the question of discussing the draft-law at the bureau sessions several times but the parliament declined his initiatives every time; the reason for the declination was ongoing consultation with the Ministry of Education.

“There are time-limits and the committee had to discuss this draft-law before the deadline; however the process was delayed. Goka Gabashvili, chairperson of the parliamentary committee of education and Khatuna Ochiauri his deputy used to answer me that consultation was going on with the Ministry of Education to agree final position on the issue. This week we have scheduled the session of the fraction and if the committee does not have the initiative discussed by that time, we will request to discuss the draft-law at the plenary meeting without committee conclusion,” said Levan Vepkhvadze.

Khatuna Ochiauri thinks there is not urgent necessity to introduce amendments to the Law of Georgia on General Education because the requirements of teachers are already envisaged in the law.

Chairman of the Parliament Davit Bakradze gave two-week to the Committee of Education to discuss the draft law.

Unless the request of the teachers is declined Manana Ghurchumeladze does not exclude the possibility to hold more demonstrations and even to start hunger-strikes.