“The main concerns of our organization are protection of labor, social, economic and professional rights of employees in educational institutions. Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union is a living organism. Its main achievements are: democracy, transparency, representation, voluntaryness and high level of confidence "- head of ESFTUG’s Rustavi City Organization Leila Gorgadze with these words opened the 8th reporting-election conference of Rustavi City Organization, which was held on June 5.

ESFTUG's Rustavi City Organization incorporates 41 primary organizations and 1130 employees. 110 delegates attended the 8th reporting-election conference. ESFTUG’s president Maia Kobakhidze, executive vice president Mari Alugishvili, Public Schools’ principals and Kindergartens’ Managers participated in the conference. The conference was chaired by Nana Burduli, teacher of Rustavi public school #18.

"To recover a hundred times ruined organization from the ashes as a phoenix, and to carry the trust mandate of 41 thousand pedagogues - it is possible only for person who is warrior, honest and is in love with union. I would like to express my gratitude to the President of ESFTUG Maia Kobakhidze for the great and tireless work that is being done to enhance the authority of our organization," - said Leila Gorgadze, the leader of Rustavi city organization.

In recent years, the social dialogue between ESFTUG's Rustavi City Organization and local government was developed and approached with Western standards. Rustavi public schools’ and preschools’ employees’ labor, social and economic rights-based effective social partnership is clearly evidenced by the fact that ESFTUG Rustavi city organization’s reporting-election conference was attended by senior officials of the city: head of Rustavi educational Resource Center Tamar Khechikashvili, Rustavi Mayor Irakli Tabagua, deputy chairperson of the City Council Nino Kavtaradze, head of the healthcare, education, culture, sport and youth development coordination department of Rustavi City Hall Nino Kvriaia and director of Rustavi Kindergartens’ Union Eka Khutsishvili.

"Your approval gives me the right to say that the city management is listening to their teachers. In the strengthening of the trade union, there is a big role to improve the principles of democratic governance, the driving force of which is the relationship with social partners. Although our organization has not had a communication problem with the city's leadership recently, today, cooperation is achieved at the peak of effectiveness. When City Mayor is looking for ways to solve problems, we should admit that the Mayor of our city not only serves but serves for people," - said Leila Gorgadze.

At the presentation of the four-year activity report, the head of Rustavi city organization talked about attraction and recruitment of members and implementation of various activities for this purpose, which is unavoidable for the development of the trade union organization. The rapporteur made accents on the challenges in the education system and named the low civic consciousness as the main circumstance to hinder the organization's razing growth. "It is unacceptable practice for us to enter into a professional organization with a director’s fear and order. Nobody has brought kindness dignity and dictatorship, and we also do not need it! "- added Leila Gorgadze.

The report highlighted the role of democratic governance in the strengthening of trade union and finding effective ways to cooperate with social partners. Head of Rustavi City Organization talked about the results of constructive cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science and ESFTUG, which has dramatically improved teachers' employment and legal conditions.

"I would like to express my gratitude to head of ESFTUG’s Legal Department Ucha Bakuradze for his professionalism and permanent readiness for the help of the members. For him distance, time and actuality of the case are not the problem. In parallel to the various problems, our constant concern is the professional development of teachers and care for their career advancement. The process of reform is underway continuously in Georgia, and new steps will be taken continuously. It is not to be concealed that no reforms have given us the desired result to improve the different programs, standards, manuals, which are the main starting point for improving the quality of teaching. It is desirable to liberate teachers from bureaucratic papers to stay longer for students and lessons. I do not want to think that we need to doubt the necessity of reform. The fact is that we cannot live in the 21st century with the demands of the 19th century. However, in the endless experiment the general education system should not be. We try to keep the pace of the reform and help teachers overcome difficulties. The reforms put the necessity of teachers' basic training in the agenda. Certification requires a permanent readiness of the teacher. In our organization, the members are the greatest ordering in this direction. This was the reason of creating a "Professional Development Center for Employees in Educational Institutions", where a professional experts and qualified team of trainers are working. Within a short time the Center has gained a great trust and each of the conducted training deserves the highest evaluation of teachers, as the requirements and needs of the members are included in the preparation and implementation of the training. During the reporting period, the financial assistance of ESFTUG’s Rustavi City organization has 54 trainings and 772 members are retrained," - Leila Gorgadze said.

"Cooperation with Social Partners - the Head of Rustavi Educational Resource Center, School Principals and the Head of the Kindergartens’ Union - clearly expresses their citizenship position and willingness to cooperate on mutual trust," - said Ms Leila.

The rapporteur has allocated the activities implemented for pre-schools’ employees and the results of their retraining by special training modules developed for their professional development.

"Pre-school education is the most important step in child’s development. Solid, healthy and straight early education is the basis for the future generation to grow healthy, delightful and motivated. Our attention has been directed towards the preschoolers for the past two years. The attitude of the government has changed radically to the pre-school education, confirming the introduction of the Law on Early and Pre-school Education. Since the pace of reform is low, it is necessary to take joint and effective steps to overcome the infrastructure and other obstacles. Improved education component, new teaching methods introduced, new methodical manuals "step-by-step" and "school readiness" programs in the kindergartens require serious retraining of employees. On the initiative of our organization, intensive trainings were conducted for kindergartens’ managers, on the topic "Kindergarten Management and Psychology", three-day training was conducted for music teachers and all of them were donated to the collection of songs. In order to introduce a school readiness program, the caregivers were trained in "modern methods and methods of teaching", specialists and psychologists were trained in - "inclusive education in preschool education" - noted Leila Gorgadze. She also spoke about the lack of educational resources and criticized the labor conditions for the employee, which should be regulated within the relevant law and subordinate normative acts.

Head of ESFTUG’s Rustavi City organization spoke about the necessity of support from state and whole society, to raise the prestige of the teacher's profession. In addition, she noted the need to appoint a different pension for the teacher. The Rustavi leader listed the activities and projects implemented in the direction of raising teacher’s authorization.

At the end of the speech head of Rustavi city organization made accents on trade union’s role and importance and remembered the article published in Danish newspaper – “Global". When its editor Morten Just asked Deputy Minister of Education and Science Lia Gigauri: “what would you do, if you were ESFTUG’s president?”, Mrs. Lia Gigauri's answer was the best assessment of our organization's policy - "Ms. Maia Kobakhidze is a leader who knows where and when to express protest, where and when to cooperate. This organization is working to protect the rights and interests of teachers, at all levels of government, and as a result, decisions are made in favor of teachers."

Leila Gorgadze called on the delegates of the conference to express their personal opinions in order to better organize further trade union activities.

Delegates of the conference were welcomed by honorable guests.

"I like healthy criticism and we should approach the problems realistically. Communication with the trade union is important, since you can identify the problems and cooperate with ESFTUG is priority at the state level, as well as in Rustavi. The involvement of teachers in the process of solving problems is intended for our children and future, which we will confirm in case!" - Rustavi Mayor Irakli Tabakhu said. He noted that the children's contingent in Rustavi is rising and children's kindergartens infrastructure will be gradually regulated. The mayor of Rustavi municipality called the ESFTUG as a great family and noted that cooperation with this big family gives more incentive to the end of the process and for this – “the priority should be given to the people and the city, we should listen to citizens" - he added.

Head of Rustavi Educational Resource Center Tamar Khechikashvili said that the resource center was more familiar with the activities of the ESFTUG. Regarding to the criticism of teachers, Tamar Khechikashvili said, that they who would like to criticize the teachers should work even a year at schools, should fulfill the teacher’s all commitments, should live with school’s life and they will confident and then will change their attitude to teachers. As Leila Gorgadze said: “To imagine how difficult teaching profession is, one day in kindergartens, or in schools is enough."

Eka Khutsishvili, director of Rustavi Kindergartens’ Union, talked about the role of school and teachers in forming her personality. "We fight together for your dedication and self-sacrifice. There are many problems but we work hard to overcome all the difficulties together," - she said.

Head of Rustavi Health, Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Development Coordination Department Nino Kvriaia spoke about the role of her service. She invited teachers and conference participants to engage in determining the priorities of her service and to improve the action plan, since the opinion of the teachers is important. Ms. Nino said that her goal is to have cooperative and not official relations with the public.

ESFTUG’s president Maia Kobakhidze presented detailed presentation of the amendments to the normative and sub-legislative acts in order to protect the labor, social-economic and professional interests of the employed people in the sphere of the last four years. Maia Kobakhidze noted that in 2014-2018 the strategic Cooperation Strategy between ESFTUG and Government has been justified in the interests of employees. With the help of ESFTUG was achieved: Teachers' involvement; Elaborate promotion of their professional development; Participation in international activities for sharing Western practice and introducing ESFTUG’s activities to European trade unions. Maia Kobakhidze named the lowest salary for the public schools and pre-school institutions as the most important problem.

Delegates delivered speech at the conference.

Civil Education teacher Vazha Karuglishvili talked about preserving national identity, role of teacher and trade union. He said with regret that often the mercantile conversation about the trade union is between the teachers. "It does not seem to be impossible to pay for membership ... No it is obvious that the trade union is professionally cared for teachers' rights and professional development". Vazha Karuglishvili recalled in his speech that participants participated in the ESFTUG’s international project "Citizen Voice" and had positive results in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills. The speaker remembered colleagues that the ESFTUG supports the formation of a healthy thinker and develops leadership and diplomacy skills. On the country's coat of arms is written: “Strength is in unity", but a sense of co-operation among the teachers is still less. He called his colleagues towards teamwork and unity, as the pupils could not even have solidarity. "I want you to know colleagues, we as citizens are a big mission, because the future is in the hands of us" - Mr. Vazha finished his speech with this call.

"I do not know a teacher who does not know John Cotton Dana's words – “if you dare to teach, then never stop learning” - said Ketevan Chankseliani, teacher of Rustavi Public School № 24. She noted that all her colleagues are in need of reform in the educational system. However, the results of "teaching-learning" must be balanced between the teacher's energy, time and the learning process. She found the bureaucratic obligations as a problem for improving teacher's professional growth requirements, so that the energy needed for the pupil would not remain out of focus.

Ketevan Chankseliani thanked the ESFTUG’s president for her outstanding attention to the demands of teachers, for correct and timely response to teachers' needs, for the implementation of local or international projects of professional development of teachers. Ketevan Chankseliani was pleased to inform the public that it was possible to become a participant in the frames of the joint project of ESFTUG and Danish colleagues, where she had a unique opportunity to travel to Denmark with her colleague Galina Dugashvili and get acquainted with the Danish study process. After returning, she will share the pedagogic experience with colleagues. The speaker positively assessed the activity of Rustavi City Organization and its leader Ms. Leila Gorgadze. She thanked Ms. Leila Gorgadze for permanent attention, support and assistance.

During the conference, delegates proudly reported the membership of the ESFTUG and expressed their belief in the activities of ESFTUG.

At the end of the conference, delegates noted that they will actively work on primary level organizations to activate members and strengthen trade union movement.

Delegates of Rustavi City Organization Conference unanimously elected Ms. Leila Gorgadze as head of organization for the next four years. They determined and approved the staff and action plan of the branch council of Rustavi city organization and selected the delegates of the ESFTUG’s IX reporting-electoral congress.

At the end of the conference, the leader of Rustavi City Organization awarded the diplomas and symbolic gifts of gratitude to the active members and awarded the principals of public schools for the protection of democratic values and effective social partnership.