Tbilisi, 27 November, 2019. The three-year collaboration of UNICEF Georgia and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia with the Government of Estonia to build a highly skilled national teaching workforce and to improve the quality of education for children has been successfully concluded.
At the summarizing event of the programme, the principals and teachers of partner 15 Georgian language and 5 non-Georgian language schools, professors of partner 9 state universities as well as experts from the Estonian foundation Innove and the Ministry presented the outcomes and positive changes that took place in the pilot schools and the partner universities as part of the three-year programme. Irina Abuladze, the First Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, H.E. Kai Kaarelson, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to Georgia and Dr. Ghassan Khalil, Representative of UNICEF in Georgia delivered speeches in the opening session.
As part of the three-year partnership and with involvement and technical support of Estonian and Georgian specialists:
- Eight State universities developed and introduced 300 credit MA programmes for future general education teachers since 2018. Around 320 students are currently enrolled in the programme;
- State universities developed BA programmes for future preschool education teachers and preparing for accreditation;
- Partner nine state universities have been supported in capacity development of professors and lecturers, through intensive trainings, workshops and seminars;
- Teachers’ conceptual and methodological guideline on curriculum implementation has been developed and introduced into the system;
- Teacher training modules and coaching programme have been developed and introduced;
- Digital Educational Resource “Learning by Playing” has been developed and incorporated into the New School Model reform of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia;
- More than 200 elementary school teachers trained and around 30 supported through coaching;
- 15 partner Georgian language schools introduced modern teaching-learning methodologies in elementary school;
- Partner school administrators trained in child-centered approaches in education;
- Assessment concept and instruments developed, and pre- and post-assessments conducted to see the impact of interventions;
- 5 partner ethnic minority schools invited to open discussions, workshops, trainings and sharing Estonian experience in bilingual education;
- Study tours of both side partners arranged for teachers, school principals, specialists of the ministry and its agencies to exchange knowledge and experience;
- Computer hardware gifted to needed partner schools by the President of Estonia for effective integration of Information and Communication Technologies into the teaching-learning process.
- Concluding event summarized the achievements of the programme and set ways forward for sustainability and extension of best practices.
Background
Guided by the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education, the Government of the Republic of Estonia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia (MoESCS) and UNICEF supported the implementation of a three-year trilateral partnership programme on Technical Assistance to Strengthening Access to Quality Education for Children of Georgia signed on 01 January 2017. This cooperation has been based on the previous successful collaboration established in 2014 between UNICEF, the Government of Estonia and the MoESCS promoting Equity in Education for academic success and opportunities of learners. Competencies and inclusion – these closely related factors stand at the heart of this partnership which strived to unleash the potential of teachers and learners to acquire 21st century skills and competencies in language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy as essential foundation for learning. The trilateral partnership has been inspired by Estonia’s exemplary approach to the teaching and learning processes with its pupils high scoring in the 2015 PISA testing and identifies clear areas in which the Estonian education model can be replicated in Georgia. 15 Georgian-language partner schools in Tbilisi and regions, 5 non-Georgian language partner schools in regions as well as 9 state universities in Tbilisi and regions participated in the programme to captivate educational innovations and demonstrate successful models for scaling up.
Media contacts
Sofia ChaavaCommunication ConsultantUNICEF
Tbilisi, 27 November, 2019. The three-year collaboration of UNICEF Georgia and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia with the Government of Estonia to build a highly skilled national teaching workforce and to improve the quality of education for children has been successfully concluded.
At the summarizing event of the programme, the principals and teachers of partner 15 Georgian language and 5 non-Georgian language schools, professors of partner 9 state universities as well as experts from the Estonian foundation Innove and the Ministry presented the outcomes and positive changes that took place in the pilot schools and the partner universities as part of the three-year programme. Irina Abuladze, the First Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, H.E. Kai Kaarelson, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to Georgia and Dr. Ghassan Khalil, Representative of UNICEF in Georgia delivered speeches in the opening session.
As part of the three-year partnership and with involvement and technical support of Estonian and Georgian specialists:
- Eight State universities developed and introduced 300 credit MA programmes for future general education teachers since 2018. Around 320 students are currently enrolled in the programme;
- State universities developed BA programmes for future preschool education teachers and preparing for accreditation;
- Partner nine state universities have been supported in capacity development of professors and lecturers, through intensive trainings, workshops and seminars;
- Teachers’ conceptual and methodological guideline on curriculum implementation has been developed and introduced into the system;
- Teacher training modules and coaching programme have been developed and introduced;
- Digital Educational Resource “Learning by Playing” has been developed and incorporated into the New School Model reform of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia;
- More than 200 elementary school teachers trained and around 30 supported through coaching;
- 15 partner Georgian language schools introduced modern teaching-learning methodologies in elementary school;
- Partner school administrators trained in child-centered approaches in education;
- Assessment concept and instruments developed, and pre- and post-assessments conducted to see the impact of interventions;
- 5 partner ethnic minority schools invited to open discussions, workshops, trainings and sharing Estonian experience in bilingual education;
- Study tours of both side partners arranged for teachers, school principals, specialists of the ministry and its agencies to exchange knowledge and experience;
- Computer hardware gifted to needed partner schools by the President of Estonia for effective integration of Information and Communication Technologies into the teaching-learning process.
- Concluding event summarized the achievements of the programme and set ways forward for sustainability and extension of best practices.
Background
Guided by the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education, the Government of the Republic of Estonia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia (MoESCS) and UNICEF supported the implementation of a three-year trilateral partnership programme on Technical Assistance to Strengthening Access to Quality Education for Children of Georgia signed on 01 January 2017. This cooperation has been based on the previous successful collaboration established in 2014 between UNICEF, the Government of Estonia and the MoESCS promoting Equity in Education for academic success and opportunities of learners. Competencies and inclusion – these closely related factors stand at the heart of this partnership which strived to unleash the potential of teachers and learners to acquire 21st century skills and competencies in language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy as essential foundation for learning. The trilateral partnership has been inspired by Estonia’s exemplary approach to the teaching and learning processes with its pupils high scoring in the 2015 PISA testing and identifies clear areas in which the Estonian education model can be replicated in Georgia. 15 Georgian-language partner schools in Tbilisi and regions, 5 non-Georgian language partner schools in regions as well as 9 state universities in Tbilisi and regions participated in the programme to captivate educational innovations and demonstrate successful models for scaling up.
Media contacts
Sofia ChaavaCommunication ConsultantUNICEF