Non-formal education - Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Today, recognition of non-formal education is permitted according to the acting legislation in Georgia
only at the vocational education level. Attestation of the qualification that was obtained after the nonformal
education is carried out by the attestation bodies. The attestation aims to:
a) review/check the knowledge and skills of the person, who bares non-formal vocational education
and assign him/her the relevant qualification or change the old one;
b) recognize the vocational education and qualification obtained abroad;
c) assess the formal education obtained in Georgia and approve the relevant qualification.
Except of Law on Vocational education Non-formal education in Georgia is not officially defined and
regulated on the legislative level. Despite significant changes in the educational system, a policy on
non-formal education and respective funding is until now practically not existing and the place of nonformal
education in the education system remains uncertain. In Georgia learning that occurs outside
the formal learning system is still not well understood, not appropriately visible, and, as a consequence,
appropriately valued. Until now it has also been under-researched.
Other Political and Strategic Documents
There are several political and strategic documents which refer to educational issues in Georgia.
Among them are: EU-Georgia Action Plan, elaborated within the framework of the European Neighborhood
Policy; Basic Data and Directions (BDD), 2010-2013 and State Strategy for Regional Development of
Georgia. Though none of these documents refers to the term “non-formal education” directly, they are
important to be mentioned in context of lifelong education and adult education which definitely implies
non-formal education.
European Neighborhood Policy – Action Plan (EU-Georgia)
One of the priority directions of the Action Plan agreed upon by EU and Georgia within the framework
of the European Neighborhood Policy is to ensure economic development, poverty reduction and social
equality. To achieve these goals, a great amount of measures to be taken refers to the reform in the field
of education, such as to “encourage life-long and life-wide learning opportunities … promote sustainable
development of human resources and human capital”.
Furthermore, under the Action Plan, Georgia has taken on a responsibility, through approximation
of EU standards and practices with that of Georgia, to “ensure access for all to high quality education
by providing sufficient funding, setting up quality assurance services, reforming education and training
systems, including vocational education and training and fostering “lifelong learning”, in particular
through implementation of national education reform strategy”.
Basic Data and Directions (BDD) of 2010-2013
Basic Data and Directions (BDD) of 2010-2013 covers the priorities of Georgia in the course of
these years, programs related to the priorities, activities, possible results and feasible funds.
Analyze of the document in the context of the adult education shows that the government recognizes
the adult education as one of the ways of solving social (including employment) problems which
vulnerable groups are facing. The document states that “the government shall aid Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) …. in developing professional skills, which shall facilitate their employment”. The same
is affirmed in the State Strategy on internally displaces Persons, according to which “it is essential to
promote vocational education of IDPs within the framework of state educational programs, which shall
become an instrument for social integration of IDPs. It is necessary to encourage vocational learning
motivation, increase its availability, as well as raise awareness of vocational learning, training and other
educational capabilities”.
One of the priorities of the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia, as envisaged in
the BDD, is the facilitation of general and vocational education of convicts within a unified educational
system, which shall assist the convicts to get employed and reintegrate in the society after being
released.
It is similarly remarkable to review the priorities of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia
under the BDD, within the context of the adult education. One of such priorities is the promotion of
54