International Mountain Day

In order to promote mountainous regions, similar to other countries around the world, Georgia is officially marking International Mountain Day – December 11 – for the second year.

With the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Governments of Switzerland and Austria, this year the Government of Georgia developed the "5-Year Strategy for the Development of Georgia's High-Mountain Settlements (2019-2023)". The goal of the strategy is the sustainable development of high-mountain settlements, social support for their residents, and increased access to quality education and services.

Since the enactment of the Mountain Law (2016) to date, the Government of Georgia has implemented a number of significant projects within the framework of various social and economic programs for the mountain population. Regarding Mountain Day, a presentation on the work performed was delivered today by Maia Tskitishvili, Vice Prime Minister of Georgia and Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure.

The event was attended by Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, and First Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Ekaterine Dgebuadze [Note: keeping name intact; substituting correct English form of name]. Among the invited guests at the presentation were educators and their students from mountainous regions.

Within the framework of the event, winners of the "Children of the Mountains" contest were also awarded, among them Khatuna Ghurchumalidze – a successful primary school teacher in the village of Nasperi, Tsageri Municipality, and distinguished poet and writer Besik Kharanauli.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport is actively involved in the process of mountain development in terms of access to education, as well as the development of tourism and cultural-sports infrastructure. Over recent years:

• Teachers in schools with mountain status receive salary supplements;
• For the rehabilitation of boarding schools, 1 million GEL was allocated from the High-Mountain Settlements Development Fund for the schools of Magharoskari, Barisakho, and Shatili. The rehabilitation of all three boarding schools has been fully carried out (a new boarding school is being built in Shatili due to a fire);
• The design and construction of 18 schools are underway, including in areas where, due to the lack of schools, the learning process had been taking place in various buildings or other settlements for quite a long time. In addition, rehabilitation works are underway for 14 schools;
• Within the framework of non-formal education, free clubs have been opened in schools according to various directions;
• Students of schools located in high-mountain settlements participate in summer schools of various focuses;
• 60 representatives from 30 schools have been trained to enhance project management skills;
• Transportation was provided for 3,761 students from 106 public schools in the municipalities of Keda, Khulo, Shuakhevi, Chelvachauri [Helvachauri], and Kobuleti;
• In terms of access to quality education, the Khulo branch was completed this year and enrolled students in a vocational institution for the first time, while a vocational education institution in Shuakhevi is nearing completion;
• 150,000 GEL has been allocated from the High-Mountain Settlements Development Fund to establish a Mountain Faculty based at the Georgian Technical University and to prepare the relevant educational program;
• In the 2018-2019 academic year, within the framework of the social program, 226 students were funded in higher educational programs;
• In order to promote tourism in mountainous regions, renewal projects for Mestia and Ushguli are planned, and the restoration process of the towers and *machubis* in the village of Chazhashi, Ushguli community, continues. Visitor centers have been built and rehabilitated, projects for 10 mountain-hiking trails have been prepared for Mestia Municipality, and tourist routes in various regions have been marked.