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At Akhalgori District Georgian Secondary Schools History Is Taught from Text-Books Published in Tskhinvali

March 21, 2014
 
Mari Otarashvili, Akhalgori

From new school year, South Ossetia’s de-facto education ministry will introduce new Georgian history books in Georgian secondary schools of Akhalgori district and they will be published in Tskhinvali. New course of history lessons will be introduced in the Akhalgori district schools, where Russia will not be presented as “occupant” and “aggressor”. Teachers of local Georgian schools say they were informed about it.

“In current edition of history text-books used in Akhalgori district Georgian schools Russia is presented as aggressor and occupant; whilst Georgia is victim. So, from the new school year local schools will have new text-books though in Georgian language again,” de-facto education minister told online edition Caucasus Knot.

There are paragraphs in the current edition of text-books, which contain following phrases: “Russian-Georgian August 2008 war,” “Territories occupied by Russia in Georgia,” “situation in Georgia as a result of Russian influence in the Caucasus…” the paragraphs are followed by caricatures. 

Deputy Head of Akhalgori legitimate administration Aleksandre Baratashvili told Caucasus Knot that 6 out of 11 schools in the district are Georgian. Director of the Georgian school Nino Amiranashvili said they receive text-books from Tbilisi. “There are 55 pupils in Georgian school and they study in Georgian language. We do not have problem about personnel because we have Georgian teachers of all subjects,” Amiranashvili told the online edition and added that pupils learn five languages – English, German, Russian, Georgian and Ossetian. The director noted that all languages are taught as foreign languages except Georgian.

School director claims they agree education plan and programs with the de-facto education ministry of South Ossetia.

De-facto education ministry intends special measures to change current situation in Akhalgori district Georgian schools. “We are informed about history text-books in Georgian schools. We have already prohibited them. Next year new text-books will be sent to schools in Georgian language; they will be published in SO,” the de-facto ministry’s representatives say.

Director of Tskhinvali based nongovernmental organization Social-Economic and Culture Agency for South Ossetia’s Development Dina Alborova, who is frequent participant of Georgian-Ossetian civil dialogues, underlined that Akhalgori district’s integration process into South Ossetian society is going on incorrectly. “Pupils of one country and territory learn different histories. We do not mean the language – it is their personal choice; moreover we should protect rights of ethnic minorities. When we speak about integration of the Leningor district’s population, we mean both Georgian and Ossetian people, who are oriented at Georgia. If one part of our children, who live in South Ossetia, will learn that Russian soldier is aggressor and occupant and second part will learn that Russian soldier protects them from aggression, it will become real reason for escalation of conflict in future,” Dina Alborova said.

She thinks the text-books with incorrect history is mistake of both central and district governments. Alborova believes rare road connections between Akhalgori and Tskhinvali, lack of necessary medical service in the district and many other problems, that delay normal social development, results into “separation of Akhalgori population from other parts of South Ossetia.”

Teachers from Akhalgori district Georgian schools say they were informed about amendments. “They really checked how history was taught in Georgian schools. Russia is really presented very incorrectly in the 9th grade text-book that annoys local government (and not only government but ethnic Ossetian population too). So they planned to change the history book. We do not know whether it will finish soon and they will introduce new text-books next school year; it depends on the South Ossetia’s de-facto education ministry,” a teacher said. 

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