Textbooks for first-graders are printed on lightweight and durable paper

Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Tamar Sanikidze spoke at a press conference regarding the improved quality of school textbooks and provided journalists with comprehensive information on the progress of the "Student Textbook Provision Program".

The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia has been implementing the "Student Textbook Provision Program" since 2013. Within the framework of the program, textbooks are provided free of charge to:

• All students of public schools of Georgia;
• Students from private schools who are members of families below the poverty line;
• Children of soldiers who died in the August 2008 war;
• Students of private schools who were studying in general education institutions prior to the privatization of these schools;
• Students of schools located in the occupied territories of Akhalgori Municipality and Gali District (9 schools bordering the Enguri River) where instruction is conducted in the Georgian language.

School textbooks are printed by the company "United Georgian Printing House", which was established on the basis of the merger of major printing houses existing on the Georgian market – "Favorite", "Forma", "MVP", and "Sezani", upon the recommendation of the Association of Printers of Georgia. The cost of a textbook printed by the printing house in 2014 is 2.3 GEL on average. In addition, in 2013 and 2014, a solid volume of textbooks from various local publishing houses is being procured by both the Educational and Scientific Infrastructure Development Agency of the Ministry of Education and Science and the United Georgian Printing House itself.

The required quantity of textbooks has been calculated using the depreciation rate for 2013-2014 and based on a study conducted by the Education Management Information System, which assessed the condition of textbooks in the system several times during the year through a specially created program and determined the expected rate of usable textbooks by the end of the academic year. It is noteworthy that, according to the study, the depreciation rate is higher in the case of first-grade textbooks. Accordingly, approximately 50-60% of new textbooks from the total required quantity will be procured from local printing houses and publishing houses for the 2014-2015 academic year.

According to the study conducted by the Education Management Information System – across Georgia, during the academic year, textbooks were replaced by the parents of 195 students (289 textbooks). The loss of textbooks is cited as the primary reason. Across Georgia last year, the parents of 25 students refused to receive textbooks for various reasons. 

In 2013-2014, compared to previous years, the safety quality of paper and ink has been improved. Also, the main innovation is that the United Georgian Printing House prints all first-grade textbooks on modern special printing paper, which is distinguished by its lightness and durability. Consequently, it is much easier for the student to handle.