“Cool Buildings” and “Cool Roofs” for Rustavi Public Schools

Manon Bokuchava, Kvemo Kartli

Every school is being reconstructed in Rustavi during the election year. “Every public school in Rustavi will have cool building! They will have cool roofs! Perfect computer centers will be opened in public schools,” leader of the ruling party President Mikheil Saakashvili stated during his visit in Rustavi on August 16.

At the end of his speech, the President nominated “a very good man” Mamuka Chikovani as majoritarian candidate of the National Movement in Rustavi.

Humanrights.ge visited Rustavi public schools which were mentioned by the president.

We discovered construction materials in front of the Rustavi Public School # 1. As soon as we opened the door, we sank in the sand. There are wooden scaffolds and half-grinded walls in the building.

“Show me your documents,” the school resource officer asked us; his name Tsurtsumia is written on his uniform badge. Mr. Tsurtsumia checked our documents and clarified that everybody’s documents shall be checked when entering similar institution. We also agreed with him. Our experience taught that it is useless to explain to resource officer that school is not a military base.

“The school hall, corridor of the ground floor and wall alongside the staircase on the second floor are being renovated,” the school administration’s representative explained. He said the ongoing renovation will not hinder launch of school year.

We found the same situation in Rustavi Public School # 2. The school hall and corridor of the ground floor are renovated. We met assistant manager and resource officer in the school. They said toilets are in order in the school and they do not need reparation.

“We have to deliver the reconstructed school by September 9. We will manage to finish everything in the fixed time,” the workers standing on scaffold told us.

Unlike Public Schools # 1 and # 2, the renovation wave meagerly impacted the Public School # 11. Only two classrooms are renovated in it though there are some other problems in school. Terrible smell is coming from the toilets of the ground floor though children do not yet use them. Sinks in the toilet are yellow and rusty. They look like sinks from the public schools before the Rose Revolution.

Rustavi Public School # 16 will meet the new school year with new façade. It was renovated and painted. However, school teacher confessed with us that toilets are not in perfect conditions in the premise.

Part of local schools was renovated last year though the renovation wave was not that much overall like this year; neither president had made speech about this problem last year.