Foreign Child in a Georgian School: Enrolment and Recognition of Prior Studies: what to do under Georgian law
How a foreign child living in Georgia can enrol in a school, how classes completed abroad are recognised, which documents and fees apply, and how to challenge a refusal of enrolment or a dispute over the grade.
What to do
- Right: a foreigner residing in Georgia has the right to education (Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Art. 33); primary and basic education is compulsory (Law of Georgia on General Education, Art. 9); voucher state funding extends to foreigners and stateless persons, so public school is free (Law on General Education, Art. 22). Not for first grade: for any grade other than the first, the school principal enrols the child by an act if a place is available (Rules for Enrolment in a School, Art. 7); first-grade enrolment is only possible through electronic registration (Rules for Enrolment in a School, Art. 3).
- Recognition of classes: with a certificate confirming the application to NCEQE, the child can go to school at once without waiting for the decision (Recognition Rules, Art. 5); within 2 weeks the school compares the subjects with the national curriculum and issues an opinion (Recognition Rules, Art. 5); the opinion states the credited subjects, the missing subjects (to be made up under an individual plan by the end of the school year) and the grade (Recognition Rules, Art. 5); on the basis of the NCEQE opinion, it is decided in which grade the child will continue (Recognition Rules, Art. 5); compulsory subjects that are not recognised can be passed as an external candidate (Recognition Rules, Art. 5).
- Documents and fee: an apostille is not compulsory, but with it the authenticity of the school record is presumed; without it, the Center itself requests information from the country or the school (Recognition Rules, Art. 4); fee 30 lari; expedited within 15 working days, 60 lari (Recognition Rules, Art. 1 and Annex No. 2).
- Language and choice of school: the language of instruction is Georgian (Law on General Education, Art. 4); the right to education in one's native language belongs to citizens of Georgia (Law on General Education, Art. 4); a foreign programme (international school) is permitted only if NCEQE has an agreement with its foreign institution (Law on General Education, Art. 34¹).
- Refusal of enrolment or dispute over the grade: the principal's refusal may be challenged by a complaint within one month of notification (GACG, Art. 180); a lawsuit may be filed within one month of notification of the act or of the decision on the complaint (APC, Art. 22).
- Where to apply: NCEQE (eqe.ge); the school (principal); the administrative panel of the court.
- Evidence: school record for completed grades, translation, apostille if available; the child's passport and birth certificate; NCEQE certificate of the application, for the school.
- Traps: “nostrification” at a ministry: only NCEQE decides recognition; waiting for the NCEQE decision before going to school means the child loses study time; agreeing to pay in a public school, where foreigners study free of charge; treating the apostille as a condition for filing; an “international school” without an NCEQE agreement carries a risk that its certificate will not be recognised.
Be sure to check
- procedure for recognising completed grades (application to NCEQE, then the school's opinion, then the Center's decision on the grade)
- enrolment in a grade other than the first is the principal's decision if a place is available
- foreign children study free of charge in public school (voucher)
- apostille and fee
- language of instruction