Dozens Reportedly Fired From National Exams Center in ‘Reorganization’
Dozens of employees were reportedly dismissed from the National Assessment and Examinations Center (NAEC), a public agency under the Ministry of Education, with “reorganization” given as the official reason, but the affected staff pointing to political motives.
The agency, which oversees state-administered exams, including the unified national exams for university admission, told RFE/RL’s Georgian service that the reorganization was announced on October 1 and is set to conclude on December 1, but did not provide information regarding dismissals.
The employees, speaking anonymously to RFE/RL, said “up to 30” people were dismissed in what the management cited as “reorganization,” and believe that many of those affected were government-critical civil servants. One former employee told the outlet that they had received “hints” cautioning against “excessive noise.”
The dismissals follow a series of similar reported layoffs since November 28, 2024, when Georgian Dream’s announcement of halting EU integration triggered continuous protests and open opposition from groups of civil servants. Independent trade unions and human rights groups have reported more than 700 politically motivated dismissals of critical civil servants since the announcement, including from the ministries of defense, justice, and foreign affairs, often under the pretext of reorganization.
“Recently, the employees of [NAEC] were warned that they would either take part in the protests or continue to work [in the agency],” Simon Janashia, an education expert with Freedom Square, an opposition party, wrote on Facebook on November 26. “These people did not give up their dignity, and they were punished for this.”
Asked about the dismissals at NAEC, Georgian Dream MP Mariam Lashkhi told Formula TV that she had information about one of the employees who, she claimed, had referred to the government as “Russian” and was receiving a salary from this government without showing up for work. “If anyone – I say it generally – feels that the government is Russian, they are not supposed to receive a salary from this Russian government,” Lashkhi told the channel.
Article 78 of Constitution, an independent labor union of civil servants, said Lashkhi’s comments “confirm” that the real reason behind the dismissals was the employees’ critical political views.
“A civil servant has a constitutional right to have and express their views, take part in peaceful demonstrations and criticise any party, including the ruling force,” the union said in a statement, noting that “political criticism cannot be a reason for dismissal.”
Over the past year, the ruling Georgian Dream party introduced laws that made dismissing public employees easier. That includes repressive laws rushed last December that broadened the scope of ‘reorganization’ and eliminated the possibility of reinstating civil servants dismissed on reorganization grounds, even after successful legal appeals.
Also Read:
- 02/07/2025 – Dozens Out of Foreign Ministry Amid “Reorganization”
- 28/02/2025 – Dismissals in Ministry of Defense Raise Concerns of Political Purge
- 13/01/2025 – Politically Driven Purge Guts Civil Service