Changes have been made to the registration of first-graders in schools
Taking into consideration the interests of children with special educational needs, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia has introduced changes to the first-grade registration process for the 2019โ2020 academic year.
By the Ministerโs decision, Phase I of registration for this category of children will begin on March 25, 2019, and end on April 5. During this period, parents of the children to be registered shall apply to the public school where they wish to enroll their child, and the school administration, in turn, will register the child in the Education Management Information System (EMIS). To confirm special educational needs, the parent will fill out an application form at the school approved by the Minister's order. The said form will be sent from the school to the Ministry, after which, based on communication and agreement with the parent, the multidisciplinary team will assess the child and determine their educational needs from April 8 to April 22.
From April 8 to April 24, the multidisciplinary team will provide the assessment conclusion to the parent and the school where the child was registered. In the event of confirmation of educational needs, the school will issue an enrollment order for the student. Parents of children whose special educational needs are not confirmed will have the opportunity to register their children in the subsequent stages. Information regarding enrollment or refusal will be made known to them from April 25 to April 30.
A student with educational needs shall be considered a child who has: a) physical disabilities; b) intellectual development disorders; c) learning disabilities; d) sensory development disorders (hearing and/or vision); e) speech development disorders; f) behavioral and emotional disorders; g) the need for long-term hospitalization; h) learning difficulties caused by social factors, due to which they cannot overcome the requirements of the national curriculum; i) autism spectrum disorders.
Phase II of registration will be available from May 2 to May 17, and the following children will be registered at the school:
Whose sibling is already studying at this school;
Whose parent is a school employee;
From whose family two or more children enter the first grade simultaneously. Registration at this stage is carried out in public schools based on the submission of mandatory enrollment documents by the parent/legal representative.
Phase III โ Universal Registration โ will begin on May 21 and will be carried out until June 12. The submission of documentation will be mandatory from June 13 to June 21. Registration will be carried out on the official website of the Education Management Information System at www.emis.ge. In case of failure to submit documentation within the established deadlines, the registration will be automatically canceled.
Phase IV, i.e., registration for vacant places and submission of documentation, will be carried out at the school from June 25 to July 5.
At this stage, registration for vacant or remaining free places will be carried out for those students who could not register in Phases I, II, and III, or who wish to change their registration.
After completing the registration at the desired school, parents must submit the following documents:
- Copy of the child's birth certificate
- Copies of parents' ID cards
In view of the implemented changes, the Ministry urges parents to carefully review the registration deadlines and conditions in order to ensure the timely and smooth enrollment of their child in school.
