<div dir="ltr"><h1>Georgian no longer language of instruction in Gali, Abkhazia</h1>
<small><em>by</em> <a href="http://dfwatch.net/author/dfwatch-staff" title="Posts by DFWatch staff" rel="author">DFWatch staff</a> | Apr 16, 2016</small>
<p><strong><a href="http://i0.wp.com/dfwatch.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Gali-school.jpg"><img class="" src="http://i0.wp.com/dfwatch.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Gali-school.jpg?resize=440%2C369" alt="Gali school" height="369" width="440"></a>TBILISI,
DFWatch–There are now no schools using Georgian as language of
instruction in Gali, a part of the breakaway region Abkhazia where 97
percent of the population are ethnic Georgians (Megrelians).</strong></p>
<p>Georgian children have to study school subjects<span id="more-41844"></span>
in the Russian language, even those who have poor knowledge of that
language. The de facto government of Abkhazia prohibited teachers from
explaining the meaning of Russian words in Georgian.</p>
<p>Although Georgian is no longer the language used for teaching other
subjects, it is still a separate subject in the schools in Gali.</p>
<p>Nona Shonia, head of Gali Resource Center, told DF Watch that the
last two years, the problems related to education in Georgian have
become more acute. There were left 11 schools in lower zone of Gali,
which had the status of Georgian schools, but from September 2015,
teaching began in Russian and first year pupils discovered the Russian
alphabet instead of Georgian textbook in school.</p>
<p>Shonia says that this decision complicated the receiving of quality
education and violated the rights of teachers and pupils who do not know
Russian well.</p>
<p>“It is very hard for children to study and understand subjects in a
foreign language. Sometimes even teachers do not know Russian well
enough to properly teach them. This caused lowering knowledge quality in
children, but it also influenced their psychological condition.
Learning by heart in a completely foreign language and understanding it
is unimaginable,” Shonia says.</p>
<p>Abkhaz officials unexpectedly attend lessons in schools to check what books and languages are used during teaching.</p>
<p>“Teachers are strictly warned that they have to conduct lessons only
in Russian, otherwise they will be fired, they are warned. There have
been cases when the teachers were accused of unconstitutional actions
for conducting events in Georgia and were dismissed. There were cases
when they were forced out of Gali. A few pupils left Gali and crossed
Enguri to study in Georgian. According to the Education and Culture
Ministry of Abkhazia, in 2015-2016’s first semester 54 pupils left Gali
to study here, while 11 left in the second semester,” Shonia said.</p>
<p>While discouraging the use of Georgian in schools, Abkhaz authorities
are promoting Megrelian, one of three Kartvelian languages in
widespread use in Georgia, and the mother tongue of most of the
Georgians who live in Abkhazia, with nearly half a million users. In
Georgia proper, only the Georgian language is accepted in public life,
schools, mass media and public offices. The Megrelian language is not
recognized and it is in practice forbidden to use it for any public
purpose, justified by a fear of separatism. As such the Abkhaz language
policy is doubly undermining Georgian policy.</p>
<p>Shonia says that earlier it was considered teaching the Megrelian
language. In 2013, a Megrelian textbook was printed, but local
population rejected the initiative. However, today Abkhazians tell
children and teachers that if there is something they don’t understand
during a lession, they can translate it into Megrelian but not into
Georgian.</p>
<p>There used to be 31 Georgian schools in Gali. After 2008, 20 of them
received status as Russian schools. 11 schools in the lower part of Gali
had status of Georgian schools. In the new school year, all the schools
switched to Russian.</p>
<p>While all the subject are taught in Russian, Georgian is still a
subject as a language, three hours per week. In the first four classes
everything is taught in Russian. From 5th to 7th grade part of the
subjects will be taught in Georgian and part in Russian. In upper
classes teaching is all in Russian and Georgian is taught two hours per
week.</p>
<p>A few days ago Dimitri Gvaramia, the deputy de facto minister of
education, told local media that they are thinking of introducing an
Abkhazian educational program in the lower Gali schools and that
according to the plan, in the next 2-3 years teaching in each class <a href="http://abkhazeti.info/abkhazia/2014/1458263032.php">will be in Russian.</a></p>
<p>He said that the reason is that earlier there used to exist education
program of Georgia’s education department, which is why ‘children were
strongly oriented to get education in Georgia.’<br>
“Today those children have the possibility to study at our university or
continue studying with limits. This opportunity will be open for them,”
Gvaramia said.</p>
<p>“In 2-3 years, teaching will only be available in Russian,” Shonia says.<br>
The 31 schools in Gali have 4,428 pupils and 750 teachers. 97 percent of
the pupils are Georgians, predominantly Megrelians. 672 teachers are
Georgian too.</p>
<p>Despite this, teaching is carried out according to old textbooks
published in Russia. Georgian books are secretly taken to school.
Despite the fear of losing their job, teachers still try to explain
subjects in Georgian. Shonia says that apart from teaching it is also
prohibited to sing or dance Georgian. In some schools Abkhaz leadership
prohibit children from speaking in Georgian in the school yard.</p><p><a href="http://dfwatch.net/georgian-no-longer-teaching-language-in-gali-abkhazia-41844">http://dfwatch.net/georgian-no-longer-teaching-language-in-gali-abkhazia-41844</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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