First-year school registration by territorial principle to open from May 15 to 25

An additional phase of first-year school registration, based on the territorial principle, will commence on May 15 and run until May 25, the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia has announced.

According to the ministry, this territorial registration will be piloted in twelve cities.

“By decision of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, an extra stage of first-year public school registration for the 2026-2027 academic year has been established, which will be conducted on a territorial basis. This stage will begin on May 15 and conclude on May 25. Before the general registration period, parents will have the opportunity to register their children at their preferred school, prioritising those within their place of residence.

The pilot implementation of the territorial principle will take place in twelve cities: Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Zugdidi, Ambrolauri, Ozurgeti, Akhaltsikhe, Gori, Mtskheta, Telavi, and Poti. When determining addresses, the LEPL Education Management Information System will rely on the addresses recorded in the LEPL State Services Development Agency database as of April 15, 2026,” the ministry’s statement explains.

For context, children with special educational needs are registered at schools during the first stage of registration for first-year pupils, from February 18 to March 2. The second stage will take place from April 21 to May 8 and will cover children whose siblings attend the desired school, children whose parents are employed at the preferred school, and families with two or more children entering the first year simultaneously.