What Happened In Atsani Public School

Nino Mshvidobadze, Guria

Several days ago, education process stopped in Public School of Atsani village in Lanckhuti district. The reason was protest of senior pupils.

Atsani Public School is one of those education institutions where minister of education appointed interim director. On October 17, director Darejan Siradze wrote resignation letter. At present teacher Tsiala Chkhaidze is acting director at school. However, pupils wish Andro Kinkladze, teacher in a Kutaisi based public school, to be their director; Kinkladze lives in Atsani village.

Senior pupils told humanrights.ge that Andro Kinkladze applied for the position of school director a year and half ago but his candidature was blocked.

Andro Kinkladze receives president’s scholarship and holds certificate. He said he wanted to be a director of his native school but his candidature was blocked for certain reasons.

“For some reasons my candidature was blocked. I had applied for the position to the Lanckhuti district administration. So, if they had any vacant place in any district school, they had to inform me about it,” said Kinkladze and added that despite current situation he still intends to struggle for the director’s position at Atsani public school.

We asked interim head of Lanckhuti district education resource center Natia Urushadze to comment on the fact.

Natia Urushadze: Although it is not within my competence to appoint directors in public schools, I would like to remind you that directors in ten schools in the district were elected as a result of competition; in some schools minister appointed directors. By the way, I am still interim head of resource center but it does not hinder me to implement my duties. Atsani public school also had interim director Darejan Siradze who petitioned us for resignation on October 17. In her resignation application she wrote that she wanted to quit job due to family conditions.

-So, Ms. Darejano was also interim director, was not she?

-Yes, it is true. There are two types of directors: one – elected director who wins competitions and then is elected by school board; second is interim director appointed by the minister.

-Why was not director elected in Atsani School?

-Competition of directors was announced in 2007. Since then no competition was held. Directors were not elected in many schools as a result of that competition. It was necessary to rapidly respond to this issue not to leave schools without directors. So, it was agreed that minister will appoint interim directors in similar schools. Since 2007, Darejan Siradze was implementing duties of director in Atsani School.

-How many schools in Lanchkhuti district have interim directors?

-In plenty of schools. For example in the public schools of Shukhuti, Nigoiti, Chanchati, Atsani, Mamati, Lesi, Chibati, Jurukveti, Shromisubani villages and in Lanchkhuti public school # 3. So, interim directors were appointed in majority of public schools. However, they have absolutely all functions of ordinary director.

-Who is acting as a director in Atsani School now?

-In accordance to the law, deputy director is acting as a director in Atsani school; it is Tsiala Chkhaidze. The law clearly regulates this issue. I cannot see any problem in this fact and want to repeat again that it is beyond my competence to make decisions on it.

-What shall resource-center do in similar situations?

-Application of the candidate interim director is sent to the ministry via our office. Our statement, containing only one sentence – Please consider the candidature – is attached to the documents collected by the candidate. The same happened in this particular case too. We sent Darejan Siradze’s application on resignation to the ministry as well as Andro Kinkladze’s application for the position of Atsani school director. Required documents were attached to the file. I repeat again that both applications were sent to the ministry from the resource center. In this situation it is our only function. The Ministry satisfied only Darejan Siradze’s application on resignation but they declined Kinkladze’s application.

-Do you know the reason of declining his application?

-According to my information the ministry was going to change the rule of appointing directors. On that ground they were late in satisfying Darejan Siradze’s application too in order to avoid problems in the school without director. Meanwhile, the situation changed, a new minister came in office who satisfied Siradze’s application but declined Kinkladze’s one. It is not within my competence to find out the reason. I do not know why they refused Kinkladze to satisfy his application. I do not know what processes will take place in the ministry. We have not had meeting yet.

Natia Urushadze said normal education process is going on at Atsani public school.

Photo: Interim head of Lanckhuti district education resource-center Natia Urushadze