What Can Threat Teachers during Testing?

Saba Tsitsikashvili

Before former minister of education and science of Georgia Nika Gvaramia resigned and went abroad for education, on December 4, 2009 issued a resolution N 1101 on “Certifying Teachers and Approving Models of Certificates”. Head of Free Trade Union of Teachers and Scientists Manana Ghurchumelidze stated that the resolution of the minister breaches the rights of teachers.

The Trade Union thinks that first of all, the ministry of education and science was obliged to release the resolution on certifying the teachers based on the agreement with the Trade Union of Teachers. According to Ghurchumelidze, the Ministry, which is now headed by Dimitri Shashkin, avoids dialogue with the Trade Union.

“In order to start dialogue on social issues with the ministry, we had to appeal to the court. We won the process and by the way we hold execution notification based on which the court imposes responsibility on the ministry to start dialogue with the Trade Union. The ministry was obliged to do it even during previous ministers, though frequent shifting of ministers delayed execution of the court decisions. Minister is entitled to set up a group of several officials who will start dialogue with teachers about problematic issues,” said Manana Ghurchumelidze.

Vice-president of the Free Trade Union of Teachers and Scientists Maia Liparteliani said that testing of teachers will only check the education of teachers instead improving their qualification. In accordance to the Article 26 of the Law on General Education, Ministry of Education is entitled to schedule activities for the improvement of teachers’ qualification together with the Trade Union; though it does not happen in Georgia.

“When the state makes testing exams obligatory for teachers, it should also work on the improvement of their qualification in parallel to it; though it does not happen. Consequently, we face the following reality: on the one hand qualification of teachers is not improved; and on the other hand we start certifying exams for teachers,” said Maia Liparteliani.

Trade Union has found several violations in the resolution on certifying of teachers.

“The resolution envisages only procedural issues of certifying; though it does not envisage issues of certifying policy like: voluntariness, impact of testing results on salaries, etc. Testing is really necessary. Teachers can select only time of testing. There is no examination program, test examples and corresponding literature. The resolution is discriminative about non-Georgian teachers. There is no literature for them and possibility to improve their qualification in their native language. The resolution does not estimate minimal barrier for applicants. The list of subjects does not indicate to non-obligatory subjects and it does not mention Azerbaijan, Armenian and Russian languages as native ones. There is no proceeding envisaged for appealing against test results. One more fact is interesting; the resolution does not work for foreign teachers who have obtained the right to carry out pedagogical activities in their countries. Consequently, the state does not recognize and respect diploma issued by our universities and recognizes diplomas of only foreign countries. In particular cases, based on concrete decision of the ministry citizen of foreign state can work as a teacher without test-exams,” said Maia Liparteliani who is a lawyer.