Citizenship Education in Georgia November, 2015 Non-Formal Education in Georgia
A. General introduction
Short paper presents non-formal civic education in Georgia. It discusses following aspects/topics: i)
general background, with a focus on enabling environment and main challenges; ii) main CSO actors and
their programs in the field, with a special focus on main tendencies and successful practices; iii) CSRDG’s
own non-formal civic education experience/ programs; iv) Recommendations.
Towards further integration into the wider EU community Georgia faces a number challenges, including
the challenge to modernize national education system in line with European policies and systems. Yet,
traditional education policies and approaches fail to empower citizens to deal with all the consequences of
globalization and integration, demographic change, digital technology and environmental problems.
While high-quality pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher and vocational education and training are the
paramount to the state’s success, a comprehensive approach to lifelong learning needs to become a
priority in a rapidly changing world, providing the key to employment, economic success and active
participation within society. Non-formal education, being a mobile, versatile, creative and free will-based
education tool is an integral part of a lifelong learning concept ensuring acquisition and maintenance of
skills, abilities and dispositions by young people and adults needed to adapt to a continuously changing
environment and to fully participate in social life. It can be carried out as a personal initiative of each
individual through different learning activities that take place outside the formal educational system;
therefore it’s pretty much dependent on learners’ motivation and capacities. It is accessible to all, as it
makes it possible to involve different social and age groups into the educational process; it is flexible
enough to be obtained in various settings and situations; it can fill in the gaps within formal education; it is
applicable, experience-based and it’s very quick and efficient in meeting the needs and expectations of
beneficiaries.
EU lifelong learning policies aspire to create a culture of learning which encompasses the whole spectrum
of formal, non-formal and informal learning and promotes active citizenship, personal fulfillment and
social inclusion as well as employability, and establishment of comprehensive lifelong learning
frameworks is promoted as an integral part of the European integration process.
However, the situation is different in EaP countries, particularly in Georgia.
B. Enabling Environment – Laws and Policies
Georgian Constitution (Article 35) entitles every citizen to receive education and make a free choice of
the form of education. Citizens also have the right to receive state funded vocational education in
accordance with the procedure established by the law.
The Law of Georgia on Vocational Education is the only legislative act putting adult education issues
within a legal framework to a certain degree. Among others, the Law considers a non-formal education
as one of the major forms of vocational education to be obtained either through a professional educational
institution or through non-accredited educational programmes. Its purpose may be: specialization,
vocational training or enhancing qualification. The State recognizes the certified qualification obtained
through non-formal education meaning that the state recognizes the non-formal education at the
vocational education level. However, current legislation does not differentiate between formal and nonformal education concepts at the level of general education system.
Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
Delisi 1-st lane # 5a; Tbilisi 0177, Georgia; Tel/Fax: 99532 2399018; 99532 2399019; www.csrdg.ge
Citizenship Education in Georgia November, 2015 As for the national policy, a certain progress has been achieved recently with regards to the development
and adoption of adults’ education policy. More specifically:
- Vocational Education and Training Development Strategy for 2013-2020 stresses the need for
developing the sound education system recognizing prior learning, experience gained through previous
practice (non-formal education) and courses undertaken and qualifications gained elsewhere.
-
The policy concept paper for the development of a system for the validation of non-­‐formal and informal learning (VNFIL) in Georgia offers a basis for the implementation of a VNFIL system in Georgia, relevant to the national context and informed by European practices. -
Draft Framework on Lifelong Learning Competencies consisting of 9 main competencies stresses
on the adjustment of the national legislation to EU standards, including the Recommendation of the
European Parliament and of the Council on key lifelong learning competences, as stipulated from the
association agreement signed between Georgia and EU.
Apart from adults education policy there is a 2014 Youth National Policy defining the state’s vision,
goals, objectives, strategic directions and actions towards youth development. Among others, it promotes
using non-formal education, including VET as effective means for youth participation, education,
employment, integration, health, rest and leisure, special care and protection.
C. Main Actors in the Field of the Non-Formal Education and their programs
The Ministry of Science and Education is responsible for developing and implementing state education
policies, including formal and non-formal (extra-curricular) school education policies. The Ministry of
Sport and Youth Affairs through its state program funds is responsible for the implementation of Youth
strategy. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection through its Environmental
Information and Education Centre among others is responsible for environmental awareness and extracurricular education of school children as well as for integration of environmental components in formal
education curricula. In 2012, National Environmental Education Strategy and Acton Plan was adopted for
2012-20141 where among others creation of school-based eco-clubs, integration of environmental
components in formal education, training of school children and teachers in environmental issues, etc.
were listed as top priority actions. Ministries of Science and Education and Environment and Natural
Resources are jointly responsible for implementing this strategy.
The largest share of work related to the support of the non-formal education development is attributed to
the civil society sector. Business companies are also providers of non-formal education. Recently, local
self- governments have started non-formal adult education programs (e.g. employment-oriented English
and Computer Courses organized and financed by Tbilisi City Hall).
Significant past and on-going non-formal education initiatives are as follows:
1. University level programs: IFES’ Democracy and Citizenship course, piloted at six Tbilisi universities in 2011-­‐2012 academic year and expanded to 22 universities and seven cities by 2014, introduces Georgian students to basic concepts of democratic citizenship, good governance, civil society, civic participation and human rights. Members of CELA – civic educators’ network established with IFES support, represent the majority of accredited universities in the country. From a group of civic educators teaching at 22 universities, to a formally registered association, CELA now provides consultation and expertise to the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Georgia on civics-­‐related topics on a national level; initiates and facilitates strategic meetings with stakeholders working on civic education in Georgia; provides 1
Source: (http://moe.gov.ge/files/Saministros%20Prioritetebi/Education_EN_A5_PRINT.pdf)
Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
Delisi 1-st lane # 5a; Tbilisi 0177, Georgia; Tel/Fax: 99532 2399018; 99532 2399019; www.csrdg.ge
Citizenship Education in Georgia November, 2015 professional development opportunities for their members and other university-­‐level civic educators through trainings and academic conferences and journals; organizes civics-­‐themed discussions and trainings for university students 2. Two large scale programs – ACETT (Civic Education and Teacher Training Program) and “Future Generation“ funded by USAID and implemented by PH International jointly with local partners and the Ministry of Education. The program aims to improve the civic education through improvement of the quality of the school curricula and to increase the role of youth in democratic processes. Program was working with up to 800 public schools in 11 regions of Georgia. Program beneficiaries were school students and teachers. Civic clubs were created at schools, teachers and club member students participated in various trainings, study tours and forums, as well as applied to the micro grants competition. In frames of the “Future Generation” program the civic education curricula were introduced to schools; program activities included curriculum development, teachers’ training, etc. 3. Civic Education Summer Camps – beneficiaries of these camps are school children; program
aims to increase the civil awareness in children by means of trainings on various topics including:
active citizenship; democratic principles; volunteering; children’s rights; tolerance; environment
protection; financial management and so on. Also widely recognized methodologies of Aflatoun
and Village are applied.
4. Projects aimed at developing peace and promoting integration processes in the South
Caucasus and Georgia. The beneficiaries are youth from various ethnic and religious groups
(school and college students); they are trained on topics of non-formal education; also, they are
involved in various events, micro grant activities, etc. As an example, up to 13 youth clubs were
established in administrative centers, trainings delivered to these youth included the topics on:
reproductive health; human rights; team work and leadership; effective communication; gender
equality; tolerance; environment protection; healthy lifestyle. Quite often projects like this are
implemented also in conflict regions or in regions that are bordering the conflict zones; in frames
of these projects, on a base of schools various clubs are initiated (like math club, science and
technology club, environmental and civic education club, etc.). Clubs are leaded by leader
teachers; they often plan joint activities with Abkhaz and / or Ossetia partners – like joint summer
schools and Skype conferences. Unfortunately, there are cases when partners from the other side
refuse from participation.
5. Programs supporting adult education in Georgia - for instance, the Georgian Adult Education
Network (GAEN) with DVV International funding supports the adult education providers’
organizational development, raises their awareness, lobbies their interests at national and
international level. On the other hand, GAEN works to raise the awareness of the society on the
importance of the adult education and promotion of the lifelong learning concept in Georgia.
GAEN also promotes local and international cooperation in adult education sphere, as well as
cooperates with central and local government and donor institutions.
6. Many other donor programs have youth-related activities as parts of their larger programs, e.g.
USAID supported project “Integrated Natural Resources Management in Watersheds of Georgia”
implemented in 2011-2014 by GLOWS consortium, led by Florida International has established
and supported the development of 38 school-based Eco clubs in 7 municipalities of Kakheti, Racha
and Samegrelo Regions. In addition, it helped establish Eco clubs Alliance, a non-profit
organization in support of Georgian Eco clubs. Another USAID environmental project through
CENN supports informal environmental education among school children in Kakheti and Adjara
regions. Eco vision, local NGO also works with school children on environmental education.
Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
Delisi 1-st lane # 5a; Tbilisi 0177, Georgia; Tel/Fax: 99532 2399018; 99532 2399019; www.csrdg.ge
Citizenship Education in Georgia November, 2015 The main challenges faced by the NGOs in the non-formal education area could be defined as follows:
• civic education though integrated into school curricula is institutionalized in only about 40-50% of
Georgian schools through various types of informal youth clubs, covering mostly urban and rural
areas close to urban centers;
•
it is more driven by donors rather than actual needs and demand by students and their
communities;
•
is most widely confined with in-school activities, while there is low willingness and actual
participation in outside civic initiatives planned and implemented by CSOs/other organizations,
•
is mostly funded through the small/micro-grants provided by donor organizations, while other
mechanisms as charity, volunteerism, etc. are still weak and un-institutionalized in both education
facilities and CSOs,
•
The majority of non-formal education providers (62%) use the single funding source; Only one
tenth of these organizations receive funding from state,
•
Based on the SCO opinion, the state is not active enough in developing non-formal education
system;
•
Lack of studies of non-formal education;
•
Post – soviet values basis of educational process, tradition of education methodologies is not
enough coordinated with new approaches of non-formal education;
•
Lack of dialogue between all stakeholders, especially the main providers of non-formal education;
lack of coordination between main actors; providers of educational services.
D. CSRDG Experience / Programs
The Centre’s experience with regards to working with communities and youth
Non-formal education with a focus on civic education is a cross-cutting element of all strategic
directions and programmes of the Centre. More specifically, community development, social
enterpise, consumers rights protection, environmental protection programme components apply civic
education trainings and other types of education and awareness rasing activities as basic approaches.
In selected regions of the community development programme, The Centre targets rural woman and
young population. Our major strategy is to create, develop and institutionalize community groups in
order for them to be major catalysts for solving rural problems, improve the access to basic social
services and enhance local capacities. One of the key components of community development is
community education and awareness raising, based on non-formal education. Community group
leaders are trained in such issues as civic activism, community mobilization and engagement,
competencies of local self-government and public participation mechanisms, local budgeting, team
work and leadership, project design and implementation, effective communications and presentation,
business planning, organizational management, administration and accounting, gender equality,
applying social medial technologies, environmental protection, etc. Target community group members
receive such knowledge through classroom trainings and practical exercises (e. g. developing model
action and business plans). Local community centres become venues for local population to acquire
certain skills and qualifications. For instance, many community centers provide courses for sewing,
stitching, making Teka Traditional Tushetian felt carpets, computer literacy, foreign languages. In
addition, there are many other different art and sports clubs/circles.
Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
Delisi 1-st lane # 5a; Tbilisi 0177, Georgia; Tel/Fax: 99532 2399018; 99532 2399019; www.csrdg.ge
Citizenship Education in Georgia November, 2015 Youngsters engaged in our community development programme are better prepared for job hunt and
carrier development and they frequently find jobs at public institutions and businesses. We have heard
from many our programme participants that they have gained the skills and knowledge different from
those provided by college and university education programmes. These skills have helped them in
carrier and personal development. Currently, we work in three regions of Georgia and target 20
communities with a view of expansion of geographic scale and the number of target communities.
Apart from above, our programme supports learning building and experience sharing among various
community groups across the country, through our community development resource centre, that
offers various training services to any of community groups all over Georgia.
EU/UNDP supported project: Incorporation of Community Waste Management Priorities into Local Municipal Development Agenda on the Example of Kakheti Region aims at sensitizing, mobilizing and engaging local communities in solid waste management planning and implementation through awareness raising and capacity building of local communities in participatory integrated waste management on the one hand, and strengthening informal school education mechanisms, on the other hand. More specifically, under the project up to 103 representatives of 53 target communities of Kakheti municipalities, including representatives of CBOs and community incentive groups have been trained in: i) the basics of waste management, ii) negative socio-­‐economic, environmental and health impacts of poor waste management, iii) available waste re-­‐use, recycling and recovery technologies, iv) typical roles of communities in solid waste management and, v) responsibilities and liabilities of individuals and organizations with regards to waste management under Georgian Waste Management Code. This has been followed by the practical training of target community representatives in identification and prioritization of community waste management issues, needs, opportunities and interventions. In parallel to this, CSRDG jointly with its implementing partner Ecoclubs Alliance-­‐Georgia has trained 184 students and teachers of secondary schools from 55 target communities in the basics of waste management through theoretical lectures and practical exercises, supporting school students’ research projects, facilitatingg round table discussions and on-­‐line waste management forums. In addition to all above, the project will soon publish extra-­‐curricular waste management handbooks for school children as well as will develop and distribute among local communities the community waste management action planning guideline that could be used by schools and CBOs/CSOs across the country. EU funded project: Raising Awareness of local actors on Association Agreement Implications
for Georgian Consumers aims at distribution of information and knowledge on those parts of
Association Agreement/DCFTA which are to most affect Georgian consumers. The project targets the
most influential information spreading routes in all regions of Georgia (outside the capital): media,
schools and local NGOs. There are envisaged trainings of civic education teachers, media and NGOrepresentatives to be followed by specific activities which would trigger use and distribution of the
provided information and knowledge. For schools those are assistance in delivery of lessons (both
through supplying with textbook/workbook and direct coaching/assistance in leading the lessons)
followed by children’s essay competition with awards, for the media is envisaged media competition
with awards and for the local NGOs – the small grants programs under close control from the CSRDG.
The project envisages to mobilize at least 200 teachers and 500 schoolchildren from at least 40 schools
in different regions of Georgia, at least 18 media representatives from at least 9 media outlets and at
least 30 representatives of not less than 12 local NGOs/CBOs. The online network of all project
participants will be organized and facilitated to exchange experience, ideas as well as information on
real implementation of the Association Agreement/DCFTA in Georgia.
Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
Delisi 1-st lane # 5a; Tbilisi 0177, Georgia; Tel/Fax: 99532 2399018; 99532 2399019; www.csrdg.ge
Citizenship Education in Georgia November, 2015 The project is in the process of active implementation the first series of trainings has been completed
already, media competition announced and NGO small grants awarded. We have ahead a challenging
work of assistance of the trained teachers and engagement of their pupils in the essay competition. It is
envisaged that the winners of both the media and children competitions will be awarded during the
Europe Days in may 2016.
To assist the teachers in delivery of the DCFTA/consumer rights related lessons within the civic education
course the project developed and published extra-curricular textbook and workbook. These materials are
freely available on web and could be used by any interested teacher. At this stage the project developed
materials are informal and their use is up to the teacher. We are recently in negotiation with the ministry
of education to receive some formal statute for the developed materials and the related trainings so that
teachers could get credits for participation/use of materials.
Recommendations:
Government:
-
To improve legislation to determine more clearly non-formal education in education systems;
-
To approve lifelong learning competences stresses on adjustment of national legislation to EU
standards including recommendations from European parliament and counsel;
-
To improve methods of delivering civic education in Schools based on EU standards and
recommendations;
-
To set effective mechanisms of interaction between non-formal and formal education;
-
To allocate funds to support civic education service providers;
-
To raise awareness of availability of NFE services;
-
To coordinate work of key players;
-
To strengthen the role of Local Government in development of non-formal education
CSOs:
-
To Coordinate the work among civic education service providers;
To create the platform of CE;
To establish standards of NFE;
More focus of programs on remote, rural areas;
Support small local initiatives of communities addressed on citizenship education.
International Actors:
-
To share experience and expertise;
To support CSO actors- providers of civic education;
To support capacity building, networking and experience sharing among CSO players from different
countries;
To create and support the joint platform of CE
Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
Delisi 1-st lane # 5a; Tbilisi 0177, Georgia; Tel/Fax: 99532 2399018; 99532 2399019; www.csrdg.ge