The non-governmental organization “Center of Progress” actively works in such directions as education policy, gender and women’s rights, environmental issues, rights related to students, etc. It should be noted that the ideas of the organization are always distinguished by their importance and reforms. The center has made a great contribution to creating an alternative space or platform for many different groups in the country.
The organization always stands next to young people, students in particular, and talks about the important issues that concern students living in Georgia. In this regard, we can highlight low wages, unpaid internships, labor policies, and their existing debts to universities. The Center for Progress has taken many initiatives and steps in all three directions. However, it is worth noting the fight on the issue of suspended students, which, after three years of struggle, has yielded results. Which you will read in more detail in this article.
When the number of suspended students reached 76,000 in 2020, action was needed. Their financial situation was complicated by the COVID pandemic in the country. On the one hand, it led to the reduction of jobs, and on the other hand, an economic crisis appeared. That is why it was necessary to take timely steps on the part of the state, since the students don’t have the right education, which is guaranteed by the constitution. The Center was the only and first organization to start an active campaign in this direction. The campaign was supported by thousands of students, and together with them, we implemented many initiatives, actions, and performances.
The organization fought in two directions to give maximum attention to this issue. On the one hand, the struggle was taking place on the street; on the other hand, in the so-called state offices. During the last three years, actions were held near the Parliament of Georgia, the Ministry of Education, and on the campuses of state universities. During this time, we met with members of the Parliament of Georgia, representatives of the Ministry of Education, groups of opposition parties, the non-governmental sector, and students from different cities. We addressed the universities in writing, and together with the artists, we staged a play on this very topic. The Center for Progress was doing the best it could within its resources to achieve results.
As part of our struggle, we have achieved a number of victories around this issue. Thanks to the Center for Progress, this issue was included in the agenda of the media.
In 2020, the Center for Progress drew up a petition, which presented two main demands: 1. Due to the problems caused by the pandemic, tuition fees in higher educational institutions should be halved; 2. Put students on suspended status due to financial debt; Many people joined this petition, and we collected 10,000 signatures, which we presented to the Parliament.
In 2020, shortly after the start of the campaign, we won our first victory when Samtskhe-Javakheti University halved tuition fees for a certain category of students. After that, in 2021, Tbilisi City Hall financed 2 000 socially vulnerable students, and in 2022, they financed families with 3 or more children and disabled students. On November 26, 2021, we applied to Adjara Autonomous of the Republic of Education, Culture, and Sports of the Ministry, and on February 10, 2022, Batumi Shota of Rustaveli State University applied to the rector and Batumi of the municipality. We considered the request of the City Council Pandemic. The situation is serious social-economic background to study of students needs and grew up socially vulnerable of students of points category up to 150,000 points. However, this issue has not been completely resolved yet. Because the scale was much larger.
After the first victory in 2022, the Center for Progress met the Minister of Education, Culture, and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. We presented our recommendations regarding the needs of students. Excellent student, we raised the mentioned problems within the framework of the meeting, and we also addressed the city of Batumi of the municipality to the City Council and the City Hall that socially vulnerable and excellent students would be financed from the reserve budget. At the same time, we applied to Batumi Shota, the Rector of Rustaveli State University, to transfer tuition fees for students.
In 2023, there appeared to be parliamentary opposition parties that joined our campaign and started an active campaign regarding the status of suspended students.
It was in 2023 that the issue of status-suspended students was finally resolved, when the Parliament, in the first reading, adopted a legislative package related to the reduction of tuition fees for status-suspended students.