The construction of a European school complex has commenced near the Lisi Lake

The construction of a European school complex has commenced near the Lisi Lake. Today, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mr. Giorgi Gakharia, the European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Mr. Johannes Hahn, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Mr. Mikheil Batiashvili, and the Mayor of Tbilisi, Mr. Kakha Kaladze buried a symbolic capsule at the construction site.

On the mentioned territory, a European school with European Union standards will be constructed along with a dormitory intended for 100 students. Tbilisi City Hall has allocated 26,099 square meters of land for the school. A document regarding the construction of the school was placed in the capsule, which was signed by the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Tbilisi, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, and the European Commissioner.

The Mayor of Tbilisi addressed the gathered audience and spoke about the contribution of education in the development of the country.

“Today is a truly important day. It can be said that in the 21st century, the only power and the precondition to develop for a peaceful and non-aggressive nation like us can only be education. That is why, today, at this location, the construction of this school is not only a sign of the start of a new European project, but also a symbol of a strong and happy future. I am pleased that in Tbilisi, which was the foremost center of education not only in Georgia, but in the entire South Caucasus, a new complex will be built with the help and support from our European friends, which this time as well, will have no analogue across the entire region. This school provides the opportunity and hope for our next generation to be more motivated and to learn from an early age to work hard and be dedicated in order to succeed. This is exactly what our country needs today: high quality general education and a high level of literacy, as each child is our future, whose development into an educated person with universal values is one of the most important strategies of the government,” stated Kakha Kaladze.

The Mayor of the capital city thanked the European Commissioner, the Prime Minister of Georgia and the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Mr. Mikheil Batiashvili.

The Ambassador of the European Union, H.E. Mr. Carl Hartzell, the Chairman of the Tbilisi City Municipal Council, Mr. Giorgi Tkemaladze, members of the Tbilisi City Municipal Assembly, as well as representatives of various institutions and the diplomatic corps. Attended the event.

The European school, which has no analogue in the region, will be the first such project outside the European Union. It is important to emphasize that the establishment of the school is one of the goals of the European Union within the frames of the Eastern partnership program. The school will offer high quality European-based education to students from six partner countries (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine).

The first phase of the European School pilot program started in 2018 on the premises of the "New School". A dormitory was also built in the same area. The construction of the school was fully financed by the European Commission. Starting from 2019, students aged 16-17 that were selected from the mentioned partner countries will study for the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. Once the school is fully operational, it is planned to integrate the content and concepts of the European system of education into the National Curriculum of Georgia, offer dual diplomas to students, and recognize the European School (ES) Specific Secondary Level Curriculum by the Georgian Education System in accordance with the national legislation.

In addition to investing in the infrastructure of the school complex, the European Union will continue to provide grants for education, vocational trainings for teachers, and support the development of curriculum. The European School will be fully operational from September 2023 and will represent the best example of the cooperation between Georgia and the European Union.