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The study examining the quality of IDP education in Georgia under the title “Not displaced, out-of-place” is conducted in partnership with UNICEF, the Georgian Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Abkhaz Government in exile. It is the first study of IDP education in Georgia in years based on direct evidence collected through close to 2,000 one to one interviews and fourteen focus group discussions.

After more than 15 years of internal displacement in Georgia, there are still about 4000 children from IDP families attending separate schooling. The NRC compared the quality of education and levels of integration in 13 out of 14 so-called Abkhaz public schools and one additional school for IDPs displaced by the August 2008 conflict. At the same time, parents, children and teachers attending 67 regular schools were interviewed. Like many countries in the region, Georgia is still going through large scale educational reforms to make quality education accessible equally for all children in the country.

“We were pleased to see the shift in policy of the Georgian Government towards allowing for integration of the displaced. Despite the primary focus on provision of durable housing, socio-economic integration, including education, needs to remain high on the governmental agenda”, says Manana Gabashvili, Deputy Regional Director.

The findings of the study provide a better understanding on how the level of education in schools for IDPs compares to local schools in the same areas, and what the needs for improvement are.

“It is important to address the challenges of creating the same conditions for IDP and other children in Georgia and merging the two currently simultaneously functioning educational systems into one. Only this will guarantee the IDPs’ full integration into Georgian society in the long run”, highlights NRC’s Project Manager for Education, Eka Zhvania.

NRC has been working in Georgia since 1994 involved primarily in educational activities for children and youth, provision of housing and free legal aid. NRC educational activities have been mainly focused on improving educational opportunities for children from displaced families through development of training and teaching material on various topics and after-class activities, as well as on vocational training programmes for displaced and local youth.