Winners of the National School Olympiads were awarded
Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Tamar Sanikidze, Deputy Minister Lia Gigauri, and Director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center Maia Miminoshvili awarded 144 exceptionally successful students across Georgia for their victories in the school olympiads and the national informatics tournament. Schools ranking I, II, and III in the rating list were awarded certificates of appreciation. As for the 110 teachers of all 144 students who secured I, II, and III places and entered the top ten, they will receive monetary prizes and certificates.
The National School Olympiad is held annually, with an average of up to 200,000 students participating. In the 2014-2015 academic year, the olympiad was held in the following subjects: Georgian Language and Literature (for Georgian-speaking and non-Georgian-speaking students), Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, and Foreign Languages (English, German, Russian). The olympiad was also held in Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian. Visually impaired students could also participate in the olympiad (using Braille). The olympiad consists of 3 stages: school, regional, and final rounds. The olympiad was administered by the National Assessment and Examinations Center.
As a result of the olympiad, 132 winning students were identified: 1st place (15 students), 2nd (16), 3rd (14), and 87 students who placed in the top ten according to subjects. The winners were awarded gift cards for computer equipment and accessories worth 1000, 700, 500, and 50 Lari, respectively, along with diplomas.
In 2015, the National Informatics Tournament was held in 2 stages across three age categories, with VII-XII grade students from public and private schools participating. As a result of the competition, 12 winners were identified: 1st place (3 students), 2nd (3), 3rd (3), and 3 students who placed in the top ten. Students placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were awarded gift cards for computer equipment and accessories worth 1000, 700, 500, and 50 Lari, respectively, along with diplomas.
It is important to note that the national teams for participating in the international olympiads in physics, mathematics, informatics, chemistry, and biology are formed precisely from these successful students. The Ministry fully covers their subsequent additional training and the expenses of participating in international olympiads. Last year, the students returned from international olympiads with one gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals, as well as certificates. Georgian children are participating in international olympiads this year as well, and as always, they will return to Georgia as victors. It is noteworthy that Georgian students compete against successful students from more than 100 countries, which is a result of their high level of preparation in Georgia.
All awarded students, as well as students who participated in the final round of the National School Olympiad (around 600 students in total), are spending their holidays at an English language summer school while simultaneously improving their English language skills. Among them, around 40 top-performing students will travel to a summer language school in Great Britain.
It is also worth noting that within the framework of the summer schools program, 3 subprograms are being implemented in 2015, with hundreds of students winning in various school projects participating, including representatives of ethnic minorities and students from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
In addition, children who win team competitions in exact and natural sciences organized by the Ministry will also travel to the science laboratories of CERN and Copernicus.
It is also significant that an entrant who is a member of the Georgian national team participating in an international academic olympiad, and who is unable to participate in the Unified National Examinations due to attending the international academic olympiad, has the right to be conditionally enrolled in an accredited bachelor's or certified specialist educational program of a higher education institution without passing the Unified National Examinations.
