Ministry of Education Disregards Georgian Heroes Who Died in the Abkhazian and Samachablo Wars

Gori’s public schools have been renamed if they bear the name of a Georgian who died while fighting in the Georgian civil wars in Abkhazia and Samachablo. The schools have also been prohibited from taking such a name again. “A school shall be given the name of a secular or ecclesiastic person who worked for the defense of the homeland twenty years after his/her death,” states the March 16th, 2007, resolution signed by Kakha Lomaia, the former Minister of Education.

For example, administrators at Gori Public School # 2 and the Tutorial Council are obliged to find a new title for their school. Since 1997 they honorably bore the name of Zaza Gamgebeli, a former student who was killed in 1993 during the Abkhazian War.

Zaza Gamgebeli’s parents informed the Human Rights Center about the situation the school faces. Givi and Lia Gamgebeli learned about the change after they discovered that all secondary schools were to be registered as legal entities and called “Public School”. Consequently, the plaque on the school’s front door that read “Gori Zaza Gamgebeli Secondary School # 2,” has been removed.

The head of school administration stated that similar changes were planned in their facility. The changes were explained as being an issue of fairness. “Zaza Gamgebeli took only his final forms at this school,” the head of school administration said. “He finished compulsory grades one to nine forms at Secondary School # 9. There are also several other heroes who studied at our school. We must also take into consideration their parents’ complaints because they might be offended that we have not also named the school for their sons. I think that the issue should be carefully considered. Regardless, we have not made our final decision. The Tutorial Council will make a decision on this issue soon. When we begin discussion of this issue, we will let you know.”

Zaza’s parents recall that current director of the school was very rude when meeting with them and approached the issue too cynically.

“The situation is too painful for us,” Zaza’s parents said. “The worst thing is the manner in which the administration has treated the issue. The family should have been informed of the change and we should not have heard about it by chance from strangers. We met the director of the school and were astonished with his attitude about the situation. It is difficult to speak about it.”

The director of the school could not find or was too lazy to find the appropriate documents to prove the legality of the decision. The Human Rights Center has the original 1997 Gori City Hall resolution renaming Gori Secondary School # 2 with Zaza Gamgebeli’s name.

On November 28th,1997, Gori City Hall and Mayor Davit Koblianidze enacted resolution # 228, stating: “Gori City Hall hereby satisfies the request of the  Gori Secondary School # 2 administration and district Education Department, based on the decision of a commission of experts to grant the names of celebrities and public figures to streets, squares, cultural and educational facilities in order to keep these people in memory. Secondary School # 2 is granted the name of Zaza Gamgebeli, a hero who died in the Abkhazian War while defending the homeland. Zaza Gamgebeli studied at that school.”

Representatives of the Gori Municipality stated that the local government does not discus school-related issues. They instead directed the HRIDC to the Resource Center of the Ministry of Education. The head of the center, Giorgi Sosiashvili, learned about the situation from us. “I have heard about it from you first. I will look into it,” he said.

Soon after, the Public School # 2 administration contacted the Human Rights Center and invited the HRIDC to attend a meeting of the Tutorial Council where the school name issue was to be discussed. Almost every member of the Tutorial Council felt awkward about the situation, as the the Minister of Education and Science’s resolution prohibited them from granting the school with the name of Zaza Gamgebeli again.

Gamgebeli died heroically on July 27th, 1993, close to the village of Shroma. He was decorated with the third degree award of the King Vakhtang Gorgasali. Fourteen years have passed since his death. Unless the new Minister of Education, Maia Miminoshvili, makes an amendment to the previous minister’s resolution, public schools do not have right to discuss the issue until 2013.

According to the resolution, only the student government, the school board, Tutorial Councils, a corresponding self-governmental body, teacher’s council or a resident of the district will be able to apply to the Ministry regarding the case.

In addition to that, the family of the person in question must sign a letter of agreement.

The initiative is registered with the school director. Three days after the registration the director must sent the initiative to the Chairman of the Tutorial Council and publicly announce the initiative.

If the Tutorial Board approves of the initiative, it will be sent on to the Ministry of Education and Science where a consulting council will discuss the case. Based on the decision of this Consulting Council, the Minister will then sign or decline the resolution. 
 
Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori