Five School Readiness Program Groups to Launch Shortly in Telavi Municipality

Within the frame of the Innovation, Inclusion and Quality Project (I2Q), the School Readiness Program groups will soon be launched in five selected schools within Telavi Municipality. The groups are designed for 5-6-year-old children and aim to increase access to preschool education. Each group will accommodate 15 children.

The Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth of Georgia has worked to enhance the infrastructure for the SRP by updating spaces in four of the schools and within the framework of the I2Q project, with the support of the World Bank, these spaces have been equipped with modern educational resources, furniture, and equipment. Preparatory work is nearly complete, and rehabilitation efforts at Kondoli Public School will begin shortly.

The I2Q Project Early Childhood Education Component Lead and the Coordinator of Infrastructural Projects recently visited villages in Telavi Municipality to assess the preparation efforts for launching the SRP groups.

The I2Q Project representatives visited the Public Schools of Tsinandali, Kondoli, and Vanta villages to monitor the allocated spaces for the SRP and ongoing work.

During their visit, I2Q project representatives met the director of the Kindergarten Management Agency of Telavi Municipality to discuss challenges in early childhood education and to identify necessary actions for staffing the pilot SRP groups.

The enhanced program in the school readiness pilot groups will be taught by educational personnel trained by San Diego State University. It will promote the child’s overall development, including social, emotional, motor, and cognitive skills, as well as fostering curiosity and creativity. The School Readiness Program emphasizes learning by doing and gives equal importance to all aspects of child development.

The Priority was given to areas with overcrowded existing kindergartens, or areas with kindergartens located far from residential areas, including highland and borderline villages, as well as villages inhabited by ethnic minorities and schools expecting an increase in the number of children.

The SRP will be piloted in 150 schools across Georgia. The work is conducted with the expert support of San Diego State University under the I2Q project.