Georgia’s Deputy Education Minister, Zviad Gabisonia, was unable to identify even one expert who worked on the government’s new education reform. During a parliamentary session, MP Sophia Khorguani asked him to name at least a few experts who contributed to the reform’s content, emphasizing that such major changes require input from the academic community, not only legal specialists.
Gabisonia responded that the reform was based on research conducted over several years by LEPLs operating under the Ministry of Education, as well as labor-market studies from the Ministry of Economy. However, he did not name any individual researchers or experts. He insisted that lawyers became involved only at the final stage to prepare necessary legislative changes.
Addressing concerns over the proposed merger of Tbilisi State University and the Technical University, Gabisonia argued that such institutional decisions fall strictly within the ministry’s legal authority. Since universities are public legal entities, he said, restructuring decisions are made by the ministry - not by academics or scientists - and follow long internal discussions and a comparison of various parameters.
Despite repeated questioning, Gabisonia maintained that the ministry made the decision after extensive internal work and that no academic approval was required. His inability to name any external experts, however, intensified criticism from opponents, who argue that the reform lacks transparency and excludes the academic community from shaping crucial changes to the education system.
