New Scheme for Professional Development of Teachers

The Scheme for Teacher Initiation, Professional Development and Career Advancement, the regulatory documents of which were developed by a special state commission, was approved by the Government of Georgia on February 19. Following the government session, Tamar Sanikidze, Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, held a press conference at the Ministry and presented the new scheme to journalists.

The scheme is a unified system that ensures the preparation of educators for the profession. The document outlines what university programs should look like, the pathways into the profession, and how to support educators in their career advancement.

The main flaw of the previously active certification model was that it was non-systemic, teachers were evaluated solely through a testing format, it was not focused on teacher development, and it did not fully reflect a teacher's activities and practical skills.

By introducing the new teacher evaluation system, we will know how effectively an educator applies their knowledge and skills in practice and what needs to be done to improve student outcomes.

Within the framework of the scheme, important functions will be delegated to schools, thereby increasing their autonomy. The evaluation component is a necessary prerequisite for planning all subsequent actions; its absence in a school meant that the school was not focused on improving learning outcomes.

As for external evaluations, we have two forms of evaluation: a subject exam and observation in practice. Since this is a regulated profession, much like other regulated professions, the state sets minimum requirements in this case as well, while the primary functions and activities are carried out at the school.

Professional development is accompanied by financial support, which is an integral part of the system. This refers to financial motivation for everyone, varying according to career stages. To ensure a better financial situation, progression through career stages is planned to be as flexible as possible.

Based on the scheme, new higher education programs have been prepared that will train qualified educators. To date, there has been no coherent, unified system for teacher preparation and evaluation. The new system will foster young people's interest in the pedagogical field and serve to elevate the prestige of the teaching profession. The state is prepared to invest certain resources to fund new pedagogical staff.

Taking into account the scale of the scheme, the Ministry will operate the scheme in a pilot mode in 2015–2016. However, the success achieved by educators during the piloting process will be preserved and will influence their progression through the stages.

Upon the implementation of the new scheme, student learning outcomes will improve, and we will gain a strengthened and retrained corps of educators. Qualified personnel will flow into the system from the very beginning.