Ssip - Ganatlebis Khariskhis Ganvitarebis Erovnuli Centri
LEPL - National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement
Phone: +995 322 200 220
Fax:
E-mail: info@eqe.ge
Web Site: http://www.eqe.ge
Contact person: Ms. Salome Abramishvili - Head of Department of Educational Services Enhancement

Sakartvelos ganatlebisa da mecnierebis saministro
Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia

0102 Tbilisi, Dimitri Uznadze N 52
Tel: (+995 32 2) 200 220
E-mail: pr@mes.gov.ge

Education system in Georgia

On June 14, 2014 Georgia has signed “on the one hand Georgia and on the other hand European Union and Europe Atomic Energy Community and between their member states agreement on association, which has been ratified by the Georgian Parliament on July 18, 2014.
According to 361 Article of the Agreement, Georgia shall conduct harmonization of National Legislation to European Union legislative acts referred to in annex XXXII of the Agreement. The EU documents regarding qualifications and quality assurance are among them. Recommendation of the European Parliament and Councils of May 22, 2017, “on the elaboration of European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning”  is very important for entire education system. This document is a tool that supports transparency, comparability and recognition of qualifications on the European level based on learning outcomes. The principle of abovementioned document is to support qualification systems and lifelong learning based on learning outcomes.
Accordingly, the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement has started the process of education system analysis in 2014.
As a result of this process, in 2017, the revised National Qualifications Framework and the Classification of Classification of Documents of Classes were prepared. The package of legislative amendments was also prepared for the project approval.

The scheme of education of Georgia is based on the European meta-frameworks (QF-EHEA; EQF-LLL) and provides lifelong learning.

Higher education in Georgia consists of three stages: bachelor program, master program and doctorate program.

Educational program in the institution of higher education during one educational year includes averagely 60 credits. Educational program of first stage of teaching (bachelor) consists of no less than 240 credits. First stage of higher education may include educational program of teacher's training. Only holders of state certificates confirming full general education or persons equalized with them, have a right to study in a bachelor programs. Educational program of second stage of teaching (master) consists of no less than 120 credits. Only bachelors or persons with degrees equalized with them have a right to study in a master programs. Medical/dentist educational program is one-stage higher educational program which ends with awarding academic degree of certified physician/dentist. Academic degree received after completing educational program of physician with 360 credits or dentist with 300 credits, is equalized with academic degree of master. Third stage of studying (doctorate program) consists of no less than 180 credits. Only masters or persons with degrees equalized with them, have a right to study in doctoral programs.

Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Higher education institutions in Georgia are required by law to work in compliance with the internal and external quality assurance standards. Nowadays, Georgia’s system of external quality assurance comprises of institutional authorization and programme accreditation, while internal quality has functions on both institutional and programme levels to ensure the continuous evaluation and development of the quality of teaching, learning and research processes, professional development of staff and quality of the services and facilities provided by the institution.

Authorization of HEIs is an external mechanism of higher education quality assurance, which is carried out by the NCEQE. Authorization is an institutional evaluation, which determines compliance of an institution with the authorization standards. The evaluation process is carried out by expert panel and is based on the analysis of the information provided in the self-evaluation report (SER) of the institution and collected during the site-visit. Authorization is obligatory for all HEIs in order to be allowed to carry out educational activities and issue a diploma that is recognized by the state.

Accreditation of higher education programmes is an external mechanism of higher education quality assurance, which is carried out by the NCEQE. Accreditation is a programme evaluation, which determines compliance of a programme with the accreditation standards. The evaluation is carried out by the accreditation experts’ panel and is based on the analysis of the information indicated in the self-evaluation report of the programme and collected during the experts‘ site-visit. Accreditation is obligatory for regulated professions (Medicine, Law, Teacher Education, Maritime Education, Veterinary) and doctoral programmes. It is not obligatory to be accredited for the rest of the programmes. However, higher education programme have to be accredited in order to be eligible for national grants.

Accreditation

Accreditation is a type of an external quality assurance mechanism under which operations educational programmes are evaluated by an external body in order to determine educational programmes’ compliance with Higher Education Accreditation standards. The goal of accreditation is to establish systematic self-evaluation process at Higher Education Institutions and to foster the development of quality assurance mechanisms. Evaluation is conducted by the team of accreditation experts and is based on the self-evaluation report of HEI and the analysis of the information obtained during the accreditation site-visit.
Accreditation is mandatory for HEI in order to run Regulated and Doctoral educational programmes.

Authorization of higher education institutions

Authorization of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) is an external mechanism of higher education quality assurance, which is carried out by the NCEQE. Authorization is an institutional evaluation, which determines compliance of an institution with the authorization standards. The evaluation process is carried out by expert panel and is based on the analysis of the information provided in the self-evaluation report (SER) of the institution and collected during the site-visit. Authorization is obligatory for all HEIs in order to be allowed to carry out educational activities and issue a diploma that is recognized by the state.

University – a higher education institution implementing the educational programs of all three cycles of higher education and scientific research;

Teaching University – a higher education institution implementing higher education programme/programmes (except for Doctoral programmes). A Teaching University necessarily implements the second cycle – Master’s educational programme/programmes;

College – a higher education institution, implementing only the first cycle academic higher education programmes.

For the recognition of foreign education, the Center verifies the authenticity of an educational document, issued by a foreign institution and establishes the compatibility of the qualification, contained in this document or the learning outcomes, attained during the period of study with the qualifications, existing in Georgia

Recognition of Qualifications held by Refugees

EQE is responsible for the recognition of education received abroad by persons holding international protection status, which means ascertaining the fact that such persons have received education and establishing the compatibility of qualifications obtained abroad with qualifications existing in Georgia (applies only in cases where a person holding international protection status is unable to submit a document evidencing education received by him/her abroad)

Access to higher education

In order to continue studying in higher educational institute, individual must obtain full general education certificate.

Full general education includes three levels and 12 years.
The levels of full general education are
A) Primary - I-VI grades;
B) Basic VII-IX grades;
C) Secondary - X-XII grades.
Primary and basic education is mandatory.
Full general education implies to overcome the level of achievements established by all three levels in general education, successful completion of school graduation exams and certification by the country with the relevant document.
After receiving basic education - basic general education certificate is issued. On the basis of a basic level, a person has the right to go from school to pursue studies in the third level of general education or professional education program.