Experts Visited Municipalities Selected for the Pilot

Work to improve early and preschool education in Georgia is in an active chapter. Within the framework of the I2Q project, with the support of the World Bank, the San Diego State University Research Foundation works with the International Education Center. Development of a quality assurance framework; ECE Data Reporting – developing mechanisms for collecting and analyzing data related to ECE education and integrating it with the education management information system; Salary Scale – developing an updated salary policy for ECE education, and Teacher Training and School Readiness Program (SRP) – teachers and promoting professional development and updating the existing school readiness program. The ongoing ECE reform shall go through a pilot in six municipalities of Georgia, selected by the Ministry of Education and Science.

On October 8-10, 2023, the I2Q Project Early Childhood Education component lead visited Zugdidi, Vani, and Lanchkhuti Municipalities with experts from the International Education Center. They conducted the meetings with the Mayors, the Heads of Kindergarten Unities, and with Municipalities’ Kindergartens caregivers.

The purpose of the meetings was to acquaint the representatives of the municipalities with the implemented, current, and planned works for the improvement of the management system and quality of early and preschool education and education throughout the country.

The visits were aimed at getting to know the local context and studying the challenges and needs in municipal kindergartens.

Within the framework of the visit, the experts visited several kindergartens in Zugdidi, Van, and Lanchkhuti, got acquainted with the educational process, inspected the infrastructure, and talked to the staff.

The head of the ECE component noted that the high engagement of the municipalities and their acceptance of innovations led to the achievement of the project goals and their implementation in the long term. Tamar Chkonia mentioned that the visits to the kindergartens showed that the efforts of local early and preschool education and management agencies and unions are constantly reflected and provide tangible progress.

The ongoing works under the I2Q Project early childhood education component are in line with the existing challenges in the pilot Municipalities, such as strengthening the professional development system for ECE professionals, implementing modern methodologies, adapting curricula to the needs of children, and implementing play-based practices.

Representatives of the local government expressed their full readiness to support the ongoing work within the framework of the I2Q project.