The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia has decided to postpone the enforcement of certain requirements of the teacher remuneration rules until the 2027–2028 academic year.

According to the agency, in order to support educators and ensure the continuity of the learning process in schools, practicing teachers will be granted an additional reasonable timeframe to verify their competency.

"As you may know, to receive the increased hourly pay starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, a teacher was required to have confirmed competency in the subject/level they teach. The purpose of this requirement was to ensure alignment between a teacher`s qualifications and their subject workload.

According to the new decision, with the aim of supporting educators and ensuring the continuity of the learning process in schools, active teachers will be given an additional reasonable period to confirm their competency - they will be required to pass their subject exams before the start of the 2027/2028 academic year.

During the transitional period, the Ministry will continue to offer additional support to teachers. Educators will be given two opportunities to verify their competency - the subject examination for teachers will be held both in the summer and in the winter. At the same time, teachers will have the opportunity to attend intensive subject preparation courses provided by the National Center for Teacher Professional Development free of charge.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia considers the consistent improvement of the quality of the learning process, as well as supporting the professional stability, decent working conditions, and qualification enhancement of each teacher, to be a priority. The decision made serves exactly these goals: teachers are given additional time and support to confirm their competency, while schools are provided with the opportunity to meet the new requirements in a prepared manner, ensuring that the continuity of the learning process is not jeopardized during the transitional period.

The Ministry urges teachers to make the most of the transitional period, take advantage of the offered subject preparation opportunities, and prepare for the implementation of the deferred requirements for the upcoming academic year through professional development.

"In parallel with refining the teacher support mechanisms, the Ministry of Education is actively working on a unified, long-term, systemic strategy for preventing and managing teacher shortages. This strategy will ensure the timely identification of current staffing needs and the preventive or interventionist management of potential shortages", - says the agency.