"It is important that our country's European choice becomes an everyday part of the classroom process" - Mikheil Batiashvili

On May 10, within the framework of European Days, the conference "Teacher – Guide to Europe" opened at the State Ceremonial Palace. The event was led by Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Zalkaliani, Head of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation South Caucasus Office Felix Hett, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to Georgia Kai Kaarelson, and Head of the National Center for Teacher Professional Development Berika Shukakidze.

"We often say that the path leading to every great and important goal goes through education. Accession to the great European family also depends precisely on education. It is the school – the school community, and above all, the teacher – that shapes the orientation in a student that should subsequently determine their future. Therefore, it is very important that, parallel to teaching subjects, our country's European choice becomes a daily part of the classroom process. Our children must know what European values and principles mean, and they must analyze why our country chose the path toward Europe," stated Mikheil Batiashvili.

The conference "Teacher – Guide to Europe" is held within the framework of "European Days 2019," organized by the Information Center on NATO and the European Union, with the support of the National Center for Teacher Professional Development and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. It is attended by 150 geography, history, and civic education teachers from Tbilisi and the regions, including teachers from regions populated by ethnic minorities and villages located along the occupation line.

The aim of the two-day conference is for teachers to receive information on relations between Georgia and the European Union, the European integration process, and European values, and to learn about the opportunities offered to them by European projects. Seminars and workshops for educators are planned within the framework of the conference.

The educators participating in the conference presented interesting projects aimed at introducing EU-related topics and popularizing European values. At the opening of the seminar, an awarding ceremony for the authors of the best projects was also held – 10 winning educators were identified, who will undergo a training course in Estonia. The course will be funded by the Embassy of Estonia.

The project "Teacher – Guide to Europe" was established in 2014 and implements seminars and competitions with the aim of popularizing European values and introducing them into the general education system.