Non-formal education - Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

vocational education, which provides for funding of vocational education institutions and carrying out
various activities for the facilitation of the reform in the vocational education system. These priorities
also include elaboration of vocational educational courses for non-Georgian population; teaching
of Georgian language at the adult language centers; rising competence in Georgian language and
state management for citizens with higher education resided in the mountainous and ethnic minority
regions.
State Strategy for Regional Development of Georgia
Chapter 4 of the state Strategy for Regional Development of Georgia (approved by the Resolution
N172 of the Government of Georgia, dated June 25, 2010 ) refers to stimulating the attraction of foreign
direct investments in the country and states that the certain percentage of employed and other human
resources shall include local population … establishment of the labor market should be supported; and
for these purposes, it is vital “that the measures are defined for the vocational training and retraining of
the local population” (Chapter 4, paragraph 4.6 ).
The above conclusions are drawn up based on the Report drafted by the Working Group on Poverty
Reduction and Employment (one of the 7 groups), established for the elaboration of the above-mentioned
Strategy. In particular, paragraph 19 of the Report notes that ”the more educated the head of the family
is, the lesser is the possibility of poverty in the household. The level of education of the head of the
family is one of the poverty risk determining factors”. Moreover, unemployment shall be considered as
one of the triggering features of the poverty (paragraph 52).
Chapter 5 of the Strategy covers the promotion of agriculture and tourism development, including
such activities as improving crediting system of farmers; supporting entrepreneurial initiatives related
to agriculture; focusing on the use of local human resources; establishing information networks for the
increasing agriculture product sale opportunities; developing ecotourism; arranging family hotels and
restaurants and café-bars; hiring guides, etc. The effective execution of these activities is not feasible
without implementing special educational programs for the local population.
The Report of the Working Group on Municipal Development and Infrastructure focuses on the
low level of civic awareness in the country and states that “there is a need to raise civic awareness,
which is directly interlinked with the increased interest and participation of the local population in the
management process, which will help them realize that they are obliged to participate in a decisionmaking,
management process, as well as solving problems existing in their region and that this shall
simultaneously solve their own problems and be beneficial for the common well-fare”.
Consolidated Education Strategy and Action Plan by the Ministry of Education
and Science of Georgia (2007-2011)
The strategy underlines changes introduced into the system of education of Georgia to ensure
the operation of two fundamental principles of contemporary education – continuous education and
lifelong learning (LLL): each citizen of Georgia will have the opportunity to proceed to his/her academic
or professional career from any level of education. Provision of education will not be restricted by such
factors as previous education, age, ethnic origin or sex. The Strategy states that “Currently there are
no accurate data available for the rate of non-formal or adult training and education. However it may be
assumed that there are not enough opportunities for retraining and qualification improvement for adults
to meet new requirements emerging on the labor markets. Therefore there is the need to develop a
coherent and efficient approach for supporting life-long and non-formal education in the country.”
Strategy Plan by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia (2012)
2012 Strategy Plan by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia encompasses all fields of
education and promises many changes in the educational system of the country.
Currently MES is implementing reforms in 42 different directions. Reforms of 2012 will cover 5 more
directions. 2012 Summer Program is one of the recent initiatives amongst future plans that includes
Retraining of the population from 15 towns (Rustavi, Kutaisi, Poti, Zestaponi, Gori, Khashuri, Zugdidi,
Batumi, Tkibuli, Oni, Chiatura, Akhalkalaki, Samtredia, Ozurgeti, Telavi) in the English language,
computer and professional orientation.
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