Project: Innovative Action for Gender Equality
Date: 2014/15
Status: Completed
The project was implemented with the financial support of UN Women and the European Union.
The ultimate goal of the project was to empower teachers of non-Georgian schools for meaningful inclusion into the professional development processes, making them well-informed and accountable for providing equal educational and development opportunities to future generations.
Three specific objectives of the project were:
- Raise awareness of education society of minority schools on ongoing education reform and its potential positive implications while providing them with relevant informational materials and space for active discussion of those challenges they face in their professional path.
- Ensure equal rights for professional development and carrier growth to 7 000 teachers of non-Georgian schools through an effective advocacy of positive education policy changes in teachers’ professional standard and scheme for professional growth.
- Promoting equal education and development opportunities for all students of 213 non-Georgian schools while equipping teachers with valuable knowledge and effective approaches for unbiased, gender sensitive instruction in the classroom.
Activities that were implemented within the project:
Development of informational materials
Informational materials for raising awareness of local school society on education reform, teachers’ new standard and professional development scheme were compiled. More specifically the following materials were developed:
1.1. Teachers new professional standard was translated into Armenian and Azerbaijani languages. The bilingual materials were published in both Armenian-Georgian and Azerbajani-Georgian and distributed among the participants of the meetings;
1.2. The informational booklet includes valuable information on teachers’ professional development and carrier growth opportunities under the scheme of teachers professional development. At the same time the booklet includes a rubric FAQ, where all those issues which are of interest of teachers and pedagogical staff generally are covered. The informational booklets were also translated into Armenian and Azerbaijanian languages. Informational materials in all three languages were published and distributed among the education society during the informational meetings.
Arrangement of informational meetings in Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions
Totally 16 informational meetings were held for ethnic minority school teachers. The meetings aimed to acquaint the minority school teachers with the new standard for teacher professional development. Worth mentioning is that all the meeting were attended by the senior management and experts of the TPDC, including the director and deputy directors of the center. The representatives of the TPDC made presentations for the participants of the meetings and answered all the questions related to teachers’ new standard and professional development scheme.
Organization of the training sessions on gender issues
Training module and program agenda for training of minority school teachers’ in gender balanced education were developed and the full package of training materials was prepared. The gender training aimed to raise gender awareness and sensitivity among national and regional educational practitioners, that on the other hand would provide new educational strategies, new gender approaches for gender sensitive and gender positive school environment. Totally 232 minority teachers participated in gender sensitivity training.
Preparation and publishing of the policy document and holding of the advocacy campaign
The policy document on equal opportunities of ethnic minority teachers on professional activities and development was developed. The work on the policy paper included deep analysis of those data and documentation which are relevant for making conclusions about the system, its operation, strength and weaknesses generally and with regard of the non-Georgian school teachers and their professional opportunities. The situation analysis is provided and key recommendations are developed. E-version of policy document
Presentation of the project results
The representatives of CCIIR talked about the issues related to the gender equality in Georgia and evaluated the education policy from gender perspective. The policy document which was published by the organization was also presented at the event. The donor organization, representatives of Teacher Professional Development Center and Ministry of Education and Science and some organizations working on gender issues attended the event.
Speakers & Topics: Kakha gabunia, Expert of Center for Civil Integration and Inter-ethnic Relations - Gender Equality in Georgia - situation analysis and general statistics
Natia Gorgadze, Project Manager of Center for Civil Integration and Inter-ethnic Relations - Education policy from a gender perspective
Shalva Tabatadze, Chairman of Center for Civil Integration and Inter-ethnic Relations - Policy document - Equal opportunities for professional development and career growth of minority school teachers.
Participation in Radio talk-shows within the advocacy campaign
https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/gender-stories-10-09-2015/27237523.html
https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/genderuli-ambebi/27112380.html