The first organizational meeting of the "Deda Ena" (Mother Tongue) Commission was held
Based on a law passed by the Parliament of Georgia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia will prepare and print the Georgian alphabet textbook using Iakob Gogebashvili’s method for the educational process.
To this end, the first organizational meeting of the "Deda Ena" (Mother Tongue) Commission was held under the chairmanship of Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia. The meeting defined the core principles based on which the "Deda Ena" textbook will be introduced in schools as an additional educational resource starting from the new academic year.
Mikheil Batiashvili thanked the members of the commission for their active involvement and once again emphasized that there are unprecedented public expectations regarding "Deda Ena", which holds the status of intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, everything must be done to ensure that the new textbook is, on the one hand, based on the national and cultural foundation known as Gogebashvili’s "Deda Ena", and on the other hand, incorporates modern approaches to teaching.
To this end, a specialized commission has been established under the chairmanship of Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia. Its members include Deputy Minister Irina Abuladze; Members of the Parliament of Georgia: Mariam Jashi, Chairperson of the Education, Science and Culture Committee, and MP Zaza Gabunia; Academics Avtandil Arabuli and Mzekala Shanidze; Professor Giorgi Gogolashvili; Giorgi Kekelidze, General Director of the National Library; Zaza Abashidze, Director of the National Centre of Manuscripts; David Lordkipanidze, General Director of the National Museum; Giorgi Alibegashvili, Chairman of the State Language Department; artist Manana Morchiladze; Archpriest Konstantine (Kakha) Giorgadze, Chairman of the Board of the Iakob Gogebashvili Society; and educator Marine Gogava.
According to the Law of Georgia "On General Education," the purpose of establishing the commission is to develop and submit for approval a textbook/series based on a monument of national significance category or an intangible cultural heritage monument inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as to determine the compliance of alternative textbooks/series created on the basis of the same monument.
The commission will convene on a regular basis. A new textbook will be developed, which, upon receiving approval, will be presented to schools for selection alongside other approved alternative textbooks. Accordingly, for the 2019-2020 academic year, the "Deda Ena" textbook will be provided free of charge to all relevant primary-grade students in public schools.
