The President of Georgia visited the first experimental school today and congratulated the children on the beginning of the school year. The President of Georgia, along with the Minister of Education - Shashkin, examined the renovated building and the classrooms.
He also visited classrooms equipped with modern technology, which was given to students as a gift within the scope of the "Geocell" company project - "For a successful future." The computers and a virtual laboratory installed in the room, allow students to observe things virtually. This room is also equipped with an audio system, through which it is possible to stage a variety of interesting presentations.
Mikheil Saakashvili talked with the students and teachers and noted that every school will be equipped with such technologies in the near future, in order to make lessons more enjoyable and interesting.
"A very good job has been done. When we saw the Geocell ad on TV our first thought was that this kind of technology shouldn't just be in ads and in the future 22nd century, but that it should be implemented in the 21st century. I am glad that you have achieved it. After consulting Dimitri Shashkin, we decided to try out similar technology in 50-100 schools next year, while within the scope of the 2015 modernization program, all classrooms of Georgia should be equipped with the same technology. We are not the richest country in the world, but we will have the best schools. The children may not be provided with everything at home, but when they enter these classrooms they should forget their problems and they should continue to feel inspired long after returning home. Nobody will opress these children anymore. They will not go back to poverty after getting such an education. Today, this is one of the highest standards. The first experimental school created the highest standards even 30 years ago. Therefore, and due to the fact that this is called an experimental school, we decided to create such a precedent here, "- noted the President.
The Head of State also congratulated the first graders and gave them Netbooks as presents. Mikheil Saakashvili visited an English classroom and talked to the foreign teacher, whom is teaching English within the scope of the program "Teach and learn with Georgia." The President also expressed his interest regarding computer skills of the children.
The "Geocell Room" is a novelty. They are teaching with Netbooks everywhere now, but two years ago this seemed like a miracle. When we said that each of the first graders should have a computer and foreigners should teach them the English language, perhaps everyone laughed at us, including foreign experts, who often lecture us. Nothing can be impossible for us and our children, especially when it comes to schools. Not only should they have the best things in the world, they should have things that nobody else has invented yet. I saw classrooms similar to the "Geocell Room" only in the Emirates, at the Abu Dhabi University. That country is 50 times richer than ours, but such a project was implemented only last year. Such rooms are a luxury even for American and Japanese schools, but for us it is already an everyday necessity. "- stated Mikheil Saakashvili.