Georgia's acting president Nino Burjanadze visited today Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatoire and with the Minister of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport, Giorgi Gabashvili, and Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Maia Miminoshvili, met with Conservatoire professors and lecturers and teachers, students and musicians that came from different regions of Georgia.

"It is important that we have the comprehensive information about the conditions, necessary for you to carry out your work, and challenges that you face. We should make every effort to preserve our unique traditions in this sphere," said Nino Burjanadze.

Acting president Burjanadze talked about the education system reform and its outcomes. She said that major steps had been already made and decisions will be taken gradually to ensure further development of that sphere.

Problems that exist in the primary and secondary music education had been discussed at the meeting. A concept presented by the Minister of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport, whose major part had been developed as a result of close collaboration with the music schools experts and which lays out the complete cycle of the music education, had also been discussed.

"Today your activity is being regulated by a law on general education and it has to be changed. We have agreed that the Minister of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport will submit a bill to the Parliament which will debate it in the shortest time possible. We have made a decision to have a single centralized system with regard to music schools. They will be financed from the state budget on a cost-sharing basis and their teachers' salaries will no way be lower than those of the public schools.

Brain drain, which is one of the most painful issues, was also discussed at the meeting. "The government should find the resources to realize the existing experience and intelligence and to use it for the benefit of the new generation," said Nino Burjanadze.

Acting president Burjanadze also talked about the financing of outstanding and intelligent young people as well as of deficient and the least popular fields.

press Office
of the President of Georgia