President Says Education Reform to Boost Social Justice

President Saakashvili said, while addressing a forum of first-year students on September 25, that through the most recent round of education reforms the country moved closer towards establishing social justice.

Saakashvili was addressing thousands of students who have enrolled in universities this year after passing the first-ever standardized national tests. This was made possible after education reforms which helped root out corruption that was widespread during entry exams for decades in Georgia.

As a result of the new entry exams only a total of 17,000 out of a potential 37,000 students were allowed to enroll in a university. About 4,000 students who scored the highest during the exams will receive a scholarship from the state.

Saakashvili said that for the first time in recent years ?young people could enroll in the universities through [use of] their knowledge alone.? 

Education Minister Kakha Lomaia, who was a key person behind this reform, said that this education reform gave young people the ?belief that knowledge alone is enough to become a student and nothing else is needed.?

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