Monitoring Governance Reforms Pilot Survey in Tbilisi Schools

1. Monitoring Governance Reforms Pilot Survey in Tbilisi Schools Focus groups and in depth interviews report Office of the State Minister of Reforms Coordination of Georgia /GORBI

2. Research Objectives • GORBI conducted a qualitative survey for the office of the State Minister for the Coordination of Reforms.” The objective of this survey was to evaluate service quality and to determine whether or not an informal payment and corruption system existed or still exists in Tbilisi schools.

3. Goals of the survey To conduct a public opinion survey on educational service quality and informal payments in schools in Tbilisi that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative researches. The purposes of this qualitative research were as follows: • To expose the existence of informal payments in Tbilisi schools and evaluate overall service quality; • To evaluate the various stages of reform from the perspective of teachers, school administrators, and education trade union representatives (teacher associations). • To assess the awareness level and directions (tendencies) of that general educational reform from the side of teachers, school administrators, and education trade union’s representatives. • To determine the influence of implemented changes on the level of service quality attributed to the evolution of educational reform.

4. meTodologia/monawileebi • Public opinion surveys were conducted from July 15-20, 2006. Qualitative research of service quality of the education system included focus groups and in-depth interviews techniques. • Six in-depth interviews were conducted, three with public school principals, and the other three were held with representatives of teacher unions. • Two FG discussions were completed with the participation of public school teachers.

5. Recruitment • Principles from three identified schools were recruited for in-depth interviews, one of which was a pilot school for a new curriculum project in 2005 -2006. Other schools involved were working with the Ministry of Education in implementing “Ilia Chavchvadze” educational reform and “Iakob GogebaSvili” rehabilitation of secondary schools projects • FG participants recruiting process anticipated the following terms: • Public school teachers represented different levels of education (elementary, basic, and secondary). • For the first group some additional teachers, who were members of the school board, were recruited. • The Teachers were required to have no less than 5 years of teaching experience. • Each group consisted of 9 teachers with discussions lasting approximately an hour and a half • All discussions were video-recorded

6. Main findings • The current quality of general education in Georgia reinforces the need for educational reform. Most participants involved in the research were well aware about the law dealing with general education, and also the draft law, which proposes changes in the current reforms. They felt that ongoing reform was rational and acceptable, however, a level of misunderstanding remained and some changes were contentious, which will require a greater level of communication between teachers and those teams actively involved in the reform process.

7. Supporting the independent development of a child, development of different abilities, aptitudes and communication skills, along with the formation of an academic program that is both acceptable for children with average abilities was also deemed as a positive outcome for reform.

8. Schools have only recently been turned into legal entities as a result of educational reform. They are now recognized with this status under acting legislation and are able to open independent bank accounts. The allocation of government funds for direct financing of school budgets are based on the number of students in attendance. The funding mechanism supports on a per student basis. The intent is to encourage school to create attractive and comfortable conditions and this is a factor in attracting more students. However, all depends on the level of governmental funding and its ability to create attractive and comfortable environments for education to flourish and take root.

9. The general principle of connecting the financial support mechanism of schools to individual students and the voucher system (state grants) was noted as a positive change by stakeholders. This mechanism is considered as necessary and appropriate in improving teaching standards. However, it was mentioned that because of current budget restraints, it was not possible to fully provide for improvements in teaching quality.

10. Avoiding the circulation of uncontrolled funds from parents and other sources has been pointed out as one of the positive sides of educational reform. Issues pertaining to the process and control of funding will be resolved as schools open bank accounts in the name of the school and the school board.

11. Reform need to motivate teachers to do their jobs well and this is part of having better and more productive relations with students and parents. The same principle is considered within the scheme of determining teacher’s salaries. However, there are counterbalances in motion: The lack of adequate financing doesn’t give the school opportunities to hire additional teachers in order to work with smaller groups in maintaining a lower student-teacher ratio. The lack of classrooms and resources makes it difficult to bring about change. Teachers with low salaries are not able to support themselves at the most basic level. Often they are forced to find second jobs to make ends meet. They often find themselves working as private tutors. Having to divide their time between jobs makes it difficult for them to do either well.

12. The new academic plan provides additional freedom for teachers by determining and focusing on some key issues that are to be included in the curriculum and the necessary accompanying minimum standard needed for all schools to reach the standard. Educators envision that school will be able to work out additional programs for strengthening various subjects and give opportunities for providing for individual differences among schools. • Participants who took part in this research positively evaluated the piloting of “new national programs” and express the position that authorities should consider the teacher’s views and opinions before putting these changes into actual practice. Such a mechanism should be implemented for the various types of change and be based on its desirability. Teachers are disappointed that reform appears to have been implemented in a haphazardly and rushed manner. They claim that things should have been done more with a step-by-step approach, which would have involved testing and piloting before initiatives were implemented across the board.

13. It was mentioned that communication problems remained with the Georgian ministry of education. This issue needs to be overcome in order to improve and allow for independent governance in determining the academic program and finding room for improvement. • The teachers believe that the authors of the reform should consider their advice. Some of the major points of educational reform need greater explanation before being put into practice.

14. The latest method of selecting text-books by teachers is to be decided by a commission representing different subject areas. This mechanism was evaluated as being an acceptable change, and that it would allow additional freedom and choice to schools. Respondents feel that that one of the essential requirement in producing textbooks is how to keep information to a minimum. There is less emphasis on teaching theory and more focus is put on actual practical exercises in technical subjects. However, this is not the case when humanitarian subjects are taught. Students are often given only a general idea as to where to find the required information that they are seeking

15. The creation of comfortable and attractive conditions for teachers and improvement in the financial and technical bases is essential important in providing society with high quality education. School budgets are already stretched and only 20 percent is left for such improvements, which is not enough. materialur treqnikuri bazis ganaxlebisTvis, skola am kuTxiT kvlav damokidebuli rCeba saxelmwifoze

16. Professional re-training of the teachers is conducted by the Ministry of Education. Main areas include new teaching methods, budgeting and for directors and how to go about setting a system of school boards. The skills that are taught during these trainings exercises are well received by participants and considered as being essential. There are no particular trainings in various content subject areas but while discussions take place many specific questions are asked that are subject related. Teachers indicate that these are well planned and organized sessions and they were pleased that the sessions were provided free of charge. Not all of those who wanted to participate were able to do so because of a lack of space or scheduling conflicts.

17. Besides the free trainings offered by the ministry, there is an opportunity of trainings offered by non-governmental organizations. Many of these training sessions are fee based and this excludes most teachers from being able to participate an in any case they cannot afford such trainings • Respondents agree that the general education system lacks consultation services to give recommendations about what trainings are available or appropriate. Teachers do not really understand the potential benefits that would result from participation; they often cannot take part in such opportunities since they are not sponsored

18. Professional teaching standards do not exist within the general education system. Moreover, this problem will remain crucial for human resource management until 2008 when teachers will be subjected to national testing in order to identify the teaching staff’s strengths, weaknesses and the direction of professional development. There remain many problems in human resource, political direction and determining the direction of teachers’ professional qualification. . • No objective and proved criteria to evaluate teacher performance currently exists. Schools are authorized to have its their own bonus system and schools individually establish teaching evaluation standards; naturally there are some questions as if such a method would not be open to interpretation.