Students in Tbilisi announced a protest in front of the Ministry of Education building.

The student movement at Ilia State University announced a protest outside the Ministry of Education on October 20. The students responded to the education reforms announced by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze with a joint statement.

According to the students, the education reform announced by Kobakhidze is not aimed at improving the quality of education in Georgia. They consider it a threat to universities that openly express their stance on the "regime in the country."

"We would like to respond to Irakli Kobakhidze's statement regarding reforms in the education system. Years of experience have convinced us that the educational space has always been a serious obstacle for authoritarian regimes, as it has always openly and loudly exposed them," Publika quotes the students' joint statement.

According to the students, "the reforms are not aimed at improving the quality of education in Georgia. The reason Kobakhidze announced these changes is the suppression of criticism in the education sector, censorship, and the introduction of party politics in universities. This is also a threat to those universities that openly express criticism of the regime in the country. Such a position only isolates Georgian higher education from the European academic community," the statement reads.

"Therefore, on Monday, October 20, at 6:00 PM, we are announcing a protest outside the Ministry of Education." "We call on all students and faculty, including those who have not previously participated in the resistance, to join us, as today the Georgian Dream regime poses the main threat to our education and future," the students stated.

Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze presented a higher education reform program, outlining seven key challenges. He emphasized that the changes must encompass not only universities, but also the very philosophy of education in the country, according to Newsgeorgia.

In his speech, Kobakhidze touched on such aspects of education as the concentration of students in the capital, the weak link between teaching and research, the gap between education and the labor market, and weak university infrastructure.

The Prime Minister noted that universities suffer from chaotic faculty selection. Many work part-time, receive low salaries, and are not involved in program development. He proposed creating a transparent personnel system and attracting foreign professors to technical and other "deficit" fields.

When listing the problems, Kobakhidze constantly recalled the years of the United National Movement's rule and placed full responsibility for the imperfect system on the team of third President Mikheil Saakashvili, the publication reports.

Earlier, "Caucasian Knot" reported that on June 20, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the arrest of 42-year-old activist and social studies teacher Nino Datashvili, accused in a criminal case involving an attack on bailiffs in the Tbilisi City Court building. Datashvili was placed in pretrial detention, and in early August, by court order, she was forcibly sent for a psychiatric examination. Following this examination, the activist's health sharply deteriorated, and she has been unable to participate in court hearings since early September.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024.. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Over a thousand people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has compiled materials about the parliamentary elections and subsequent protests on the page "Elections in Georgia-2024".