Integration of ethnic Azeris starts with language: challenges in quality education and employability
In Soviet times, the great majority of the population of Georgia spoke Russian, which served as the language of inter-ethnic communication. 66 year old Bayram Abbasov, an intellectual from Telaveri village of Bolnisi district describes that since Russian was the common language, they had little or no knowledge of Georgian. “We did not feel disenfranchised if we did not know Georgian. Education at our school was provided only in Russian. Our teachers did not speak Georgian. As a result, we did not receive adequate Georgian language educational opportunities. After Georgia gained independence, Georgian became the only official language and Russian, the lingua franca from the Soviet times, is no longer accepted for communication. The decline of Russian as the language of communication and poor command of the Georgian language has been a severe obstacle to quality education, employability and thereby our integration into the Georgian society.”
A number of development challenges caused by the lack of knowledge of Georgian are pervasive in the today’s Georgian society. This is especially true for the Azeri communities living compactly in areas bordering their kin-states, with which they have closer ties than with the rest of Georgia, largely because of the so-called ‘language barrier’. In order to tackle the problem, the state first of all has to create appropriate conditions for learning Georgian because integration starts with language.
Ethnic Azeri minorities are marginalized through their lack of access to quality education, particularly with regard to the teaching of the Georgian language.
Preschool education is a level at which ethnic Azeri children in Kvemo Kartli is to start to acquire basic knowledge of Georgian. But the children in this region suffer from the lack of kindergartens, although the number of parents wishing to bring their children to Georgian kindergarten has increased significantly for the recent years. On account of the lack of kindergartens, children cannot master the Georgian language. Subsequently, primary education becomes much more difficult for them.
27 year old father of two little children Samir Bayramov who lives in Imiri village of Marneuli district says that because there is no kindergarten in Imiri village his children cannot acquire elementary skills in Georgian. Children who do not go to kindergarten, fall behind those going to one. “Some families sent their kids to the kindergartens in adjacent Tsereteli village and these kids already know Georgian. But we cannot afford it. If we had our own kindergarten in our village then all our kids would go. Because children are better prepared for schools in kindergartens where they start to learn Georgian”. 
Photo 1. Samir Bayramov’s children are among the thousands left without a kindergarten
According to head of the preschool center of Marneuli district Zaur Karamov, the lack of kindergartens is not a problem only in Marnueli district, but it is a common problem in Kvemo Kartli region. “There are 12 kindergartens in the whole Marneuli district, meeting only about one-third of the demand. New kindergartens are built when the budget allocated is sufficient. Every year at least a new kindergarten is built and 2 more kindergartens are to be commissioned soon”, he notes. Zaur Karamov added that school readiness groups are functioning under the schools. The aim of the program is to develop Georgian language, cognitive and communication skills of 5-6 year-old children before entering school.
Another major issue is the lack of adequate teaching of the Georgian language in minority schools. According to the Law of Georgia on General Education, teaching of the Georgian language is mandatory in general education institutions providing education in minority languages. But the quality of the teaching of the Georgian language is not promising.
Georgian history teacher of Sadakhlo village school number 2 of Marneuli district Khayala Sharifova says that this is mainly due to the ineffective bilingual textbooks. “Only 70% of the material in textbooks is translated into the Azerbaijani language, while the remaining 30% is left in the state language. In many cases, the translation is so erroneous that it can hardly be understood by the teachers, pupils and parents. Subject teachers who do not speak the state language sometimes leave out and do not explain the content of the 30% of the textbooks left in the state language or have to seek assistance from Azeri speaking Georgian teachers for translation.” 
Photo 2. Ethnic Azeri school children still have to use erroneous and poor quality textbooks.
Appointment to minority schools of Georgian teachers who are not proficient in minority languages is also a main obstacle to quality education. In these schools, Georgian is not used as the language of instruction and many of the students do not speak it.
According to 17 year old Eltun Karimov studying in the 11th grade of Didi Muganlo village school of Marneuli district, on account of the lack of bilingual teachers they cannot learn Georgian at school. “Our Georgian teacher does not speak any Azeri and we do not speak any Georgian. How can we communicate? This is an issue for us”, says Eltun Karimov.
Georgian language teacher of Sadakhlo village school number 2 of Marneuli district Lala Jalilova agrees that the state language should be taught by qualified bilingual teachers who are capable of delivering lessons in the state language and making meaningful comparisons in the native language, when necessary. It is also stipulated in Article 13 of the Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities that the state language should be taught as a subject on a regular basis, preferably by bilingual teachers who have a good understanding of the children's cultural and linguistic background.
The Report on the Situation of the Protection of the Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia in 2017 released by the Public Defender of Georgia reaffirms that teaching the state language remains a serious challenge in the regions with compact settlements of ethnic minorities. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the teaching of the Georgian language and resolve the problem of integration caused by this language barrier, Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia have been implementing various civil integration programmes aiming at the integration of minorities into society through improving the teaching of Georgian. In the report the Public Defender reiterated the inefficiency of existing bilingualtextbooks. As reported by the Ministry of Education and Science, an intensive work is underway for the creating of new bilingual textbooks.
Georgian remains the only language of higher education, as predicated by the applicable Law of Georgia on Higher Education. Access to higher education in Georgia is therefore impossible in practice for ethnic Azeri young adults who cannot master Georgian. They have to turn to their kin-states or Russia if they wish to pursue their studies.
23 year old Mirza Ismayilov who is a graduate of Azerbaijan Technical University and native of the Vake village of Dmanisi district notes that Georgian language was taught in their school, but not to the extent that fluency was achieved. “Those seeking to go to university preferred to go to Baku to study in Azeri rather than to Tbilisi”, mentioned Mirza Ismayilov.
Bringing minority students into Georgian universities is very important for their integration. As stated by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the quota system for national minority students, which was put into practice by the government since 2010, resulted in substantial increase of the number of ethnic minority students enrolled in higher educational institutions of Georgia. A research report on “The effectiveness of one year Georgian language program for ethnic minorities at higher education institutions” released by Center for Civil Integration and Inter-Ethnic Relations also revealed that the number of Azeri speaking enrolled students tripled (the number of enrolled students was 194 in 2010 and 556 in 2015).
Knowing Georgian is mandatory for employability in Georgia. Therefore unemployment related to the lack of Georgian language skills remains a big problem for Azeri minorities. 79 year old Nargila Hamidova, a resident of Sadakhlo village of Marneuli district says that she has 3 children, all of whom are out of work. “All my daughters are university graduates. Even one of them has 2 diplomas. They cannot find jobs in Georgia, due to inability to speak Georgian”
The language issue is also a serious setback for the participation and representation of minorities in the state apparatus. The applicable Law of Georgia on Public Service stipulates that public servants are obliged to speak fluent Georgian as it is a basic requirement for holding a post in public service. As reported by Alibala Asgarov, who heads the NGO Geyrat, all powerful and decision making positions are occupied by ethnic Georgians. Alibala Asgarov adds that even Azeris with excellent Georgian have little chance of jobs in policy-making and administrative bodies.
According to the applicable Law of Georgia on Official Language, the State shall provide persons employed in the public service with opportunities to study the official language. In 2017 Report on the Situation of the Protection of the Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia, the Public Defender of Georgia highlights that public servants with insufficient knowledge of Georgian are provided with the opportunity to study the Georgian language. But according to Alibala Asgarov, there have been reported cases of some Azeri minorities being fired from their posts on account of the insufficient level of the Georgian language, without giving them an opportunity to develop their Georgian language proficiency. 
Photo 3. Alibala Asgarov, the head of NGO Geyrat
Alibala Asgarov also mentions that the government of Georgia has never had an elaborate State Program to teach Georgian to and increase employability among ethnic minorities. Instead Georgian has been dictated to minorities as a demand. It is high time to act rather than demand something, concludes Alibala Asgarov.
This article was prepared within the framework of the project implemented by the Human Rights House Tbilisi and cofunded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and National Endowment for Democracy.
By Ramil Huseynov
Source link of the article http://dfwatch.net/integration-ethnic-azeris-starts-language-challenges-quality-education-employment-50003
Related items
-
Education is a basic right that must be guaranteed in life and participation in society for the youth
Education is a basic right that must be guaranteed in life and participation in society for the youth who are facing various social issues. However, many places around the world have yet to guarantee the basic rights of education to the youth.There is the unfortunate reality of not being able to receive education despite having the willingness to learn. IPYG Asia-Oceania Youth leaders have come together to solve this problem.( A total of 42 youth leaders from 8 countries of South Korea, Bangladesh, Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and Thailand, on December 27, 2020)Offline education was stopped due to COVID-19, and the system for online transition is in poor condition. In the case of Egypt, the Internet is not available in many areas, causing realistic difficulties for many. People are alienated from education due to inability to buy electronic devices. (Tharwat Gaid Salama Gaballa, Chairman of Horus Foundation for Development and Training)Iraq has a very small number of teachers compared to the number of students. In addition, professional education for teachers is not properly provided, so educational improvement for students is urgently in need. (Hameed Mohammed, Head of Al-Rakeezeh Foundation)On this day, youth leaders shared the educational situation of each region and discussed the role that civil society could possibly play. The Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop (YEPW), which is taking place around the world, shares the challenges that the youth from each continent are facing and aims to solve them.The YEPW in Asia-Oceania Workshop addresses the infringement of the youth's right to education, and youth leaders from Asia-Oceania will cooperate to ensure that the youth receives equal educational opportunities and quality education. Raise your Voice, Create Our Future!Press-release of the IPYG -
An inter-continental online peace conference will be held on January 24th, 2021, in attendance with about 2,000 participants from 17 countries, including the Philippines, India, Australia, and South Korea.
The host of this conference is a Korea-based international peace NGO, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) affiliated with the UN DGC and the UN ECOSOC.
This virtual peace conference is organized in commemoration of the 7th Anniversary of the January 24th HWPL Peace Day which was designated by the Province of Maguindanao in the Philippines to celebrate the peace agreement in Mindanao on January 24th in 2014.
The agreement was suggested by Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL and signed by government, religious and civil society leaders to engage in collaboration of peacebuilding efforts to end the decades-long conflict.
Since then, the annual commemorative event such as a grand peace festival, international peace walks, exhibitions of peace in local museums, and inter-faith conferences has taken place to celebrate the peace agreement and raise awareness of peace among citizens in the region.
The event has discussed the history, current issues, and plans for long-term peace in Mindanao as a set of peacebuilding models based on the cooperation of actors in different fields with events that raised awareness of the need for securing sustainable peace.
With the theme of "The Role of Peace Education in Building a Peaceful World”, this year’s celebration, in line with the International Day of Education, aims to establish a global platform for peace educators to implement peace education in the educational system of each country.
Although the event is open online this year due to the COVID-19, more than 2,000 participants, including politicians, religious leaders, social figures, and educators are expected to attend.
The inter-continental conference will include the graduation of peace education students, the peace pledge ceremony, and various addresses regarding the value of peace education.
An official of HWPL said, “Through the 7th Anniversary of the January 24th HWPL Peace Day, we aim to raise awareness of the importance of peace education and culture of peace. It will be an opportunity to revitalize people around the world who are currently experiencing various violence and conflicts, especially since the onset of COVID 19, with a hope and spirit of peace.”
Anyone interested in the event can join by signing up at https://tinyurl.com/HWPLPeaceDayZoomReg until the 23rd of January. The event will be live-streamed through https://www.facebook.com/hwplph/ from 16:00 (KST) on the day of the event.
-
You can too! How the EU supports women entrepreneurs in Georgia?
- 1. I want to start my own business, but I’m not sure my idea would work. Who can advise me?
The European Union is very active in supporting the development of new businesses, particularly among women and particularly in the regions of Georgia, often with a focus on rural and disadvantaged areas. So don’t think that you need to be in Tbilisi, to have a higher education or an established business in order to access EU support – on the contrary!
The EU supports a number of programmes and business support facilities that provide know how, practical help, and even funding to help you start your business.
Here are some examples:
If you are looking for support in agriculture, the ENPARD programme provides information, training, advice and financial support all over Georgia, with hundreds of thousands of farmers benefitting since 2013. Visit the programme’s interactive map to find regional initiatives, contacts, information centres and cooperatives near you.
The Mayors for Economic Growth programme supports local authorities in developing economic growth and job creation. Among the dozens of local authorities that have signed up in Georgia, three – Bolnisi, Gori and Tbilisi – are running pioneer projects including support for new entrepreneurs with training and business development facilities, ensuring the equal access of women to development opportunities.
- 2. Business advice is all very well, but you need money to develop your business. How can I get funding when I have no money of my own and no business experience?
A number of grants for agricultural projects are available under the ENPARD programme. Follow the calls section on their website to see the list of grant competitions that are available.
While the local development projects funded under the Mayors for Economic Growth initiative do not provide grants, they will help you to access finance. For example, the SPARK business accelerator set up under the project in Tbilisi offers new businesses assistance in preparing a business plan, and puts you in contact with potential investors and sources of finance.
One EU-funded programme offers loans that are specifically tailored to women: Women in Business can provide finance both to start and develop a business. The programme works with local partners Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank and offers preferential terms for women entrepreneurs to finance new business ideas or expand an existing business. Several other projects under the EU4Business initiative also work with local banks to provide loans for SMEs – from micro-finance to major investment loans.
- 3. I already have a business, but I need help to take it to the next step: is there any EU support available for me?
If you already have a business and you are looking to develop, funding (and training) is available through a number of programmes under the EU4Business initiative, which supports private sector development across Georgia.
Apart from providing loans, Women in Business offers training and subsidised advisory services that are specifically tailored to women-led businesses. The programme also offers a personalised online tool – the Business Lens – to assess your business and see what kind of support you can access.
Some EU4Business programmes also offer finance for much larger businesses, but others such as the DCTA Initiative East offer microfinance loans up to €25,000. The European Fund for South East Europe (EFSE) also provides small loans (average loan size €14,300) to the smallest businesses (less than 10 employees) in sectors such as agriculture, industry, trade and services. Click here for the full list of finance programmes under EU4Business, here for projects offering training and business advice, and here for projects supporting access to markets.
Georgian entrepreneurs also have access to the Enterprise Europe Network, which helps Georgian SMEs find business and technology partners across Europe and beyond.
- 4. I’m not sure I want to start a business, but I want to learn new skills: is there something for me from the EU?
Training and skills are a key priority of EU support in Georgia, and the EU provides considerable funding for Vocational Education and Training (VET). The EU recently launched a 150 million GEL programme supporting vocational education and labour market development. The 5-year programme will help 105,000 Georgians find jobs by expanding high quality vocation education, improving labour policies, and supporting entrepreneurship training.
In terms of direct support, the individual EU4Youth programmes – Say YES: Skills for Jobs, Enhancing Youth Education, Employment and Participation in Conflict-affected Areas in Georgia and Ukraine, Fostering Potential for Greater Employability, and Better Skills for Better Future – have a strong focus on skills for under-35s, especially in less advantaged regions of Georgia, providing training, mentoring and internships to help young people find jobs.
For young women under the age of 30, the EU offers exciting opportunities under its Erasmus + youth programmes. You can join the almost 10,000 young Georgians who have already learned new skills and developed valuable experience by participating in youth projects or volunteering for work abroad under the European Solidarity Corps.
And if you are in higher education, Erasmus + offers student exchanges and post-graduate programmes in Europe. Find out more about all the opportunities and how to apply.
- 5. Are there women like me, who started their own business with EU help?
There are lots!
Nata, Manana, Irina and Dali all received grants under the ENPARD programme. Natalia and Irina come from Tbilisi, Manana from Tsalka, and Dali from Upper Alvani. Natalia grows cucumbers, Irina tomatos, Manana runs a tea processing enterprise, and Dali combines honey production with educational courses. They have all developed their business with the help of EU training and grants.
Irina Gloveliand Tekla Mamageishvili both received advisory support as part of the Women in Business programme. For Tekla, the project helped to plan the activities of her eye clinic more strategically and attract financial resources, while Irina received help to put her engineering company’s financial reporting in order, leading to a 7.5% rise in profits.
Manana Chqareuliworked from home as a seamstress. With the help of loans under the EFSE programme, she was able to upgrade her equipment, lease a proper workspace and hire staff to develop her business. Now her company is on its way to becoming a brand in its own right.
Diana Bakradze and Anna Varamashvili benefitted from skills training and internships under a project for ‘Support of vulnerable youth to become productive citizens through learning, training and employment’, an important step to an independent professional life.
Click here for more success stories from ENPARD, here to find out what the city of Bolnisi is doing under the Mayors for Economic Growth project, and here to learn about five Georgian women who have benefited from EU support across a range of areas.
- 6. Whom can I ask for help?
Visit the ENPARD website to find contact information in all the different regions of Georgia, and check the programme’s interactive map to find regional initiatives, contacts, information centres and cooperatives near you.
Look at the Mayors for Economic Growth website to see if your town is among the signatories and what it is doing to support jobs and businesses near you.
If you already have a business and are looking to develop it, check out the training and funding opportunities available under EU4Business in Georgia.
For education and youth opportunities, contact the national Erasmus + office in Georgia.
And don’t forget to follow the EU Delegation to Georgia on Facebook for updates and new opportunities.
-
Representatives from the government and educators in Cotabato City from 55 public and private schools gathered at a workshop from January 17 to 18 targeting introduction and expansion of peace education for students.
The workshop was hosted by HWPL, an international non-government organization registered as the consultative status in the UN ECOSOC and affiliated as a partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines.
85 educators from 55 public and private schools in Cotabato City at the workshop developed teaching guides appropriate for each educational level, based on the curriculum drafted by HWPL to provide peace education worldwide and the collaboration of participant experts in the field of education including CHED and the DepEd Schools Division Office Cotabato City.
“We can achieve peace, first in our home, inside our classroom, in school, in our division, in our communities. That's why we are here because we want to promote peace through education,” said Dr. Concepcion Ferrer-Balawag, Cotabato City Schools Division Superintendent.
As for the need for a workshop for educators with international cooperation, Agney C. Taruc, the Regional Education Program Supervisor of Region XII, pointed out the opportunity for “joining the different cultures, different voices and different kind of people that are working to achieve peace in this world” and “bringing people together to work and to move more to achieve peace in Mindanao especially in Cotabato City.”
Teachers at this workshop wrote their lesson plans based on the DepEd guidelines and 12 HWPL Peace Education Lessons implanting such values as diversity, harmony, coexistence, respect and understanding. As HWPL’s global project of “spreading a culture of peace”, the academic sources based on pilot training programs have been applied to 214 educational institutions in 36 countries.
“All students should be taught peace from the textbooks they learn every day, and the teachings of war must be changed and discontinued. How can we achieve peace? Peace begins by teaching students about peace,” said Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL at a press conference, Manila, back in 2018.
Prior to this, a pilot testing was held last November 2019 in 7 participating schools. Since 2016, dozens of schools including the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College established partnership with HWPL for peace education targeted to youth. In 2018, HWPL and CHED signed an MOA to integrate peace education in the curriculums of universities and colleges.
HWPL is an international organization headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea - committed to advancing peace through DPCW (Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War), associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC). After proclaiming the Declaration of World Peace in 2013, HWPL expanded its peace movement in 70 countries. A few years later, HWPL has reached 127 countries.
-
China International Education College is founded by China International Education Group. Various educational institutions in China, Europe and Asia are successfully operating under the umbrella of this group.
Our institute is dedicated to teaching Chinese, organizing multifaceted cultural and cognitive events that will help Georgian society to better understand Chinese culture, as well as deepen multilateral relations and cooperation between China and Georgia.
Our Institute is the first fully independent private institute of its kind in Georgia. It is worth noticing that the China International Education group is the one of the important investors in Georgia in the field of education, currently investing approximately 3 million GEL, and plans to invest in vocational education in the future.
On January 11, 2020, at 15:00, at the headquarters of the China International Education College, Andrew and Meliton Balanchivadze Ave. # 43, the official opening ceremony of the China International Education College will be held.
Invited guests are Ambassador of China to Georgia - Ms. Lee Ian, guests from Ministry of Education, state and public figures, also specially for this day, for the first time senior statesmen will come from China : Mr. Wu Ni - Director of the Institute for Education Development and Reforms of the Chinese Academy of Education, Mr. Xu Zhengzhong - Director of the Institute for Education Development and Reforms and other guests.
The following people will give speeches at the ceremony : Mr. Kang Zheng – founder of the institute, Ms. Eli Elisashvili – Director, Mr. Wu Ni and Mr. Xu Zhengzhong.
This event will also include a presentation of the first Chinese-Georgian dictionary, translated by the director of the Institute - Eli Elisashvili, published in China, and second edition will be performed in Georgia.
