Following the change of government in Georgia with the ‘Rose Revolution’ of 2003, substantial
developments have been made regarding the reform of the education system and the improvement
of the quality of education. These reforms, particularly the new language and education policies,
have undoubtedly had implications for persons belonging to national minorities..
Language and education policies in Georgia have two principal aspects: enhancing knowledge of
the official state language for the purposes of increased integration of national minority groups on
the one hand, while protecting minority languages and the right to receive education in one’s
mother tongue on the other. Although Georgian legislation provides for equal access to education
and protects the right to receive education in minority languages, conflicting legislation
concerning the promotion and use of the state language has somewhat impeded the ability of
minorities to realize this right in practice. Most notable is the negative effect of the reform
education policy on the access of national minorities to higher education due in large part to
Georgian language proficiency requirements. This requirement has, in turn, had an impact on
other aspects of the education sector, such as teacher training and the provision of textbooks in
secondary education. Notwithstanding, the advancement of the knowledge of the Georgian
language is indeed a crucial component of education reform and it has been identified as the
priority issue for ensuring the full and effective civil integration of persons belonging to minority
groups, especially for those living in substantial numbers in specific regions.
Georgia is a multilingual and multiethnic country, with an estimated thirteen percent of the
population speaking a language other than Georgian as their mother tongue.1
Specifically, the
regions Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli are densely inhabited by ethnic Armenians and
Azeris respectively, the majority of whom have a very poor command of the Georgian language.
This impedes the general integration of these minority groups into Georgian society and is also the
most problematic issue with regard to education.