The representatives of the "Teacher's National Award" attended the th Congress of the Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia: The winner of the 2017 Vladimer Apkhazava - Lanchkhuti Municipality village Chibati public school teacher of civic education; winner of 2018 - Manana Kapetivadze - Baghdati Municipality N2 public school teacher of English and Russian languages ​​and top ten winners: Eliso Abramishvili – chemistry teacher of Sachkhere Municipality Ilia Chavchavadze #2 public school; Nino Gureshidze - primary level teacher of Kharagauli Municipality village Bazaleti public school; Nadia Dabrundashvili – Math teacher of Khashuri Municipality #1 public school; Jaba Labadze – History teacher of Surami #2 public school.

ESFTUG’s president Maia Kobakhidze awarded the winners of the Teacher’s National Award on behalf of the IX Congress with the diplomas "For the promoting of teacher’s profession and for special contribution in profession".

At the Congress, during the presentation of the ESFTUG’s activities and future priorities, the ESFTUG’s President talked about the work conducted for enhancing the prestige of the teacher's authority and profession. Maia Kobakhidze has emphasized the activities of teachers’ support and Government’s, as well as the whole community's obligations:

"We welcome the recent work of NGOs to propagate the activities of teachers. We would like to thank the NGOs’ Coalition -"Education for All - Georgia" - for the establishment of a Teacher’s National Award, Ministry of Education and National Center for Teacher Professional Development to support this project. The role of the NGO sector is important in forming public opinion. Kind thing has begun and "kindness is transmitted". We hope that other NGOs will change the approaches and together with the common criticism will begin work to increase teachers' authority. What prevents us from expanding this activity and for increasing the prestige of the teacher's profession set the best teacher award in the regions.

Our organization has done some work in this direction. We have developed the criteria for revealing the teacher with the best results. On October 1, 2016, we organized an event dedicated to the International Day of Teachers in which Minister of Education, Deputy Minister and more than 500 successful teachers took part. We awarded the teachers which students won in various types of Olympiads, competitions and conferences, have received higher grades in school and national exams. Our Regional / City branch organizations have conducted a wide variety of events, which are covered in the booklet of the report.

We welcome the initiative of individual municipalities celebrate the International Day of Teachers and encouraging teachers.

I am sure if the leaders of our city / regional organizations together with educational resource centers will develop the project to reveal the best teachers of the region, they will be supported by local self-governments. Head of the ESFTUG’s Adjara organization has already expressed an initiative regarding the establishment of the award of honorary teacher of Adjara and we welcome this initiative.

It would be desirable to involve businessmen in these processes, I do not have much hope for the fact that at the final ceremony of the Imedi project - "Imedi heroes" - the business representatives awarded the people of all professions except of the participant 2 teachers. It was in 2015, but we still remember this bitterly (I welcome the heroes of Imedi - teacher of Georgian language and literature in the Akhalkalaki Bavara village Armenian school Julie Veleli-Shirianin and teacher of Georgian Language and Literature, principal of the village Lakhamuli public school of Mestia Municipality Nazi Sabanidze.

Increasing the prestige of a teacher's profession should not be limited to one activity. In order to increase the prestige of teachers' authority and professions, a specific action plan should be set in the country. We express our willingness to actively cooperate with state agencies and civil sector” – said the president of Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia Maia Kobakhidze.