“We wanted to know that the last year, the New Year's program was optimistic, talked about problems, the availability of education in the mountains and even what one person can do.”
The last broadcast of 2017 was dedicated to education. Education is a very wide topic, so the hosts of the program focused on two main problems: How much education is available for adolescents living in the regions, and why has the violence in schools increased? Guests of the program were Psychologist Elene Kipiani, from Psychological Service Center of Resource Officers of Educational Institutions, and Psychologist Tamta Samishvili of Applied Psychology and Research Center.
We had planned that this program would also be attended by Irma Tskipashvili, Director of the School of Shuapkho andmother of ten children, but because of the last days of the semester she could not come. The school is the only one in Shuapkho. Today there are 16 children, eight of whom are children of Irma. By the efforts of the director, teachers, and pupils, this year nine years of school was transformed into high school. Repairs are done. Today there is no kindergarten in the village. There are no extracurricular circles out of school.
Civil Society Development Center social worker Maia Akhrakhadze thinks it is a special problem in Mtskheta-Mtianeti region that children with disabilities often do not have access to education.
Social-economic life is hard and children can’t go to school because of their lack of clothing or shoes. The hosts of the program could not stop thinking of the grave cases that have recently taken place in Tbilisi and other cities of Georgia: young people who have suffered more than deadly wounds. What causes this violence?
“These stories were mostly observed by social networks. It was interesting that everybody was looking for one of the criminals. Someone blamed families, school, law enforcement, media...It's such a complex issue, it's not possible to blame one's side,” says Tamta Samishvili.
Elene Kipiani also says, “There is no unambiguous cause of violence. Social factors are based on the existing reality.”
Where's the solution?
First of all, parents need to be accustomed that children are not their property. Young people from an early age should be oriented against violence. Parents and teachers have a big role in this process. It is important to encourage children and take an interest in their lives. The psychological service of the Resource Officer offers free counseling to students, teachers, and parents.
