Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti
Deadline for the competition of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia in alliance with the Ministry of Internal Affairs - “I Love My Police” – is November 25. In the framework of the competition pupils have to make paintings, compositions and organize a photo-competition. Many pupils of the higher forms refused to participate in the competition. The directors of several schools threatened their pupils with creating problems during the diploma exams.
According to the competition bylaw, the pupils, who will win the regional competition, will receive certificates; the pupils, who will win the final tour, will receive financial prizes together with certificates. The pupils on the first place will receive 875 GEL; pupils on the second place – 625 GEL and the pupils on the third place will receive 375 GEL. According to the same bylaw, the deadline for submission of materials to the district resource centers is November 26; as for the resource centers, the deadline for them to send materials to the ministry of education and science is November 29. The winners of the regional competition will be named on December 3 and winners of the final competition will be awarded on December 10.
Although the Ministry tried to interest pupils with financial prizes, the pupils of several schools did not participate in the competition.
“The teacher of Georgian Language and Literature said everybody should write compositions and praise the police. I do not like police and consequently, I could not write similar composition. Neither my friends wrote anything. There are 17 pupils in our class and only two of us wrote compositions. The teacher asked us not to put her in an awkward situation. Afterwards, the director shouted at us; he said if our school does not participate in the competition, he would not assist us during diploma exams and create problems for us,” said the pupils of the 12th form of a public school in Telavi.
A pupil of the 12th form said he does not like police because his father was arbitrarily detained. “He is accused in the attempt of murder. However, he did not commit the crime. We are four children at home and my mother grows us up alone. I am the eldest child and try to assist my mother. However, since the imprisonment of the father, our life has become very hard. I did not write the composition; I could not,” said 16-year-old T. M.
The pupils of the higher forms of the Kvareli public school # 1 also refused to participate in the competition. “Several days ago, the teacher asked us to write good things about the police. I have not done the homework for what today we were ordered in the name of the school director to make some paintings and photos. We were told to sing a police hymn in front of the police station. The children refused and they got angry; our parents were called to the school,” said pupils.
The director of the Kvareli public school # 1 denied the accusations of the pupils. She said nobody had threatened the children.
“The Ministry of Education ordered us it and we implemented it. We informed everybody who wanted to participate in the competition. After getting this order I informed the teachers about it. Who wants to participate in it, they will write compositions. Of course, we wish our pupils to write compositions because the school will receive stars for it. If our children participate in similar competitions, somebody will assist us later; the police might also assist us… The adults should love police because they peacefully sleep home at night; because cars are not abducted in the streets, etc. Why should not they love police? My husband is former head of the police department and I love police,” said the school director Nunu Tushuri.
The Ministry of Education and Science does not make comments regarding the obligatory participation of pupils in the competition.
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