Search Page

Having barely recovered from the protests over history curriculum in July, the Ministry of Education finds itself under heat again. This time, over failing to prevent the undue influence of high-ranking officials who serve in positions at private universities right after their retirement. Twenty-one officials who retired from the MOE allegedly assumed positions at private colleges in the past 20 years. Some are said to be receiving lucrative sums in addition to their retirement pensions, while others are said to be well past retirement age.

In Georgia, the Soviet legacy and the later collapse of state institutions produced an educational system plagued by corruption, nepotism, centralization and lack of teachers and professors. In addition, during the 90's, private low-quality schools with titles like "university" and "institute" sprang up. Controversies have been raised after colleges and universities have been closed or merged, and thousands of academic and administrative positions abolished.

In spring 2004 interviews were conducted with 43 rectors, vice rectors, and administrators at five private universities. A consensus emerged that successful licensing or accreditation applications, with few exceptions, required some form of bribery. Licensing might require a bribe of US$ 200 about two months' salary for a typical academic - while accreditation might call for a 10 or 20 times greater "gratuity."