The Education Ministry of Georgia opened a Ukrainian-language sector at the #20 Public School in Batumi, Georgia’s major coastal city, on May 18. Ukrainian children will have the opportunity to receive a general education in their native tongue.
About 100 students have expressed their desire to attend the school, with grades 1-4 currently available by the end of this school year, and all grades will be made available by September 2022.
Education Minister Mikheil Chkhenkeli said the decision was “historic,” adding that Ukrainian pupils will learn from the exact same textbooks from which they were learning in Ukraine.
The Georgian minister stressed, “I wholeheartedly wish our Ukrainian sisters and brothers peace in Ukraine so that you can return to your homeland soon. We will do everything to ensure that your children in Georgia get a quality education in a safe and healthy environment. ,
The Ukrainian Chargé d’Affaires Andrii Kasianov was also in attendance, emphasizing that the move was an opportunity for Ukrainian students to better integrate into Georgian society.
Earlier in April, the first Ukrainian-language zone was opened in Tbilisi’s #41 Public School, named after Mykhailo Hrushevsky, a prominent public figure of the Ukrainian national revival in the early 20th century. There are currently over 300 Ukrainian children in attendance.
According to the Ministry of Education, Georgian authorities decided that students arriving from Ukraine after the Russian invasion should be able to sign up for the school through a simple process with over 800 people already enrolled across the country.
