ESFTUG poses demands to “National Examination Center” and “National Center for Teachers’ Professional Development”. As said in a statement, teachers’ viewpoints have not been taken into account while compiling certification tests.
Trade Union demands from “National Examination Center” and “National Center for Teachers’ Professional Development” to analyse the tendencies and provide us with detailed information instead of raw numbers regarding the following:
How many of failed participants are acting and newbie teachers (by subject of teaching);
How many of failed participants have university degree in the subject they teach and how many of them are teaching another subject.
We believe that certification implies regulating teaching profession, boosting its professionalism and authority. Unfortunately, those aims were not reached.
According to Maia Kobakhidze, during these years certification has become teachers' punishing instrument and instead of improving educators’ conditions, it serves their discreditation purposes. If the country has unprofessional teachers, then how can we explain the high grades that students get at university entry examinations? considering the fact that absolute majority of private tutors are currently teaching at public schools.
Certification exams results once again emphasized the flaws in teachers’ training and qualification enhancement system.
The main reason for this is that teachers did not go through a regular qualification enhancement courses and for the last 10 years government offered no trainings for their professional development - says Maia Kobakhidze.
ESFTUG president also added that one-time trainings by “Teachers’ House” just before the exam is not sufficient and does not give a sustainable effect.
According to the trade union, self-preparation is also barely possible for teachers due to deficient materials that does not correspond to vast amount of examination program.
"Respectively, trainers as well cannot be efficient as it is impossible to go through whole program in this short amount of time. There are problems regarding organizing part as well, as mountainous regions did not have a chance to attend the trainings.
There are irrelevances among National Curriculum, Teachers’ Professional Standards, Certification Programs, Examination Format, Assessment and Credits Accummulation and Bonus System. In addition, tests include complex tasks that require hard work for full five hours without having any time for revision.
The problem lies in reform that was developed by official figures without involvement of main beneficiaries, teachers themselves. They excluded teachers from decision making process", – states Maia Kobakhidze.