Political Loyalty is Criteria for Presidential Teacher Awards

Teachers from various public schools reported that presidential awards were granted according to political orientation, not merit in the Kakheti region of East Georgia

Tamar Shubitidze, teacher of History, received more points in Public School # 1 in Gurjaani. However, she is wife of Aleksandre Sirbilashvili, chairperson of Gurjaani Municipality Board and came as no surprise to many.

It must be pointed out that only teachers that were granted with the presidential scholarship for outstanding teaching are known as staunch supporters of the National Movement. It is clear that they close ranks with the ruling party of president-elect Mihael Saakashvili during both the presidential and parliamentary elections. Providing awards for teachers who have not merited the award is nothing new, not to any school or region.  Nonetheless, it represents a larger pattern of showing political favoritism, and this is not an isolated case. 

Only yesterday the same complaints were voiced by teachers, and not only in terms of political views but ethnic background as well, as reported from the Akhaltsikhe region, South Georgia. It appears to be part of a larger pattern of not basing the prizes on merit but political loyalty. If true, this is a step backwards in the educational reform movement. Furthermore, it questions the value of the much touted school reform in the first place, and goes further to reinforce the system of tribes and bribes “patronage. Corruption is still well-rooted in Georgian political life and economic reality.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti