“I am honoured to have the opportunity to speak to you today on this special occasion, as we gather to present the National Teacher’s Award. The date has been chosen with great significance and respect. Today, October 27, marks the birthday of Iakob Gogebashvili. It has been 185 years since the birth of Georgia’s greatest educator, the founder of scientific pedagogy in Georgia, as well as a publicist, children’s writer, public figure, and the creator of ‘Ai-ia’, a mother tongue textbook,” Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, stated during the ceremony.

The Speaker emphasised that our future depends on our children, and that the future of our children, alongside their parents, is shaped by teachers.

“All modern Georgian knowledge, education, pedagogy, the Georgian language, and the alphabet form the foundation of our national identity, a legacy that Iakob Gogebashvili established scientifically and universally. Since then, this heritage has never been broken, despite the many upheavals Georgia has endured over the past century and a half. Today, we have the honour and responsibility to safeguard our homeland’s most precious treasure, our accumulated knowledge, national self-awareness, and the future generation.

A teacher embodies, and should continue to embody, the most vital value of a country like ours, which has faced many hardships. It is you who serves as the bridge between the past and the future, between our ancestors and our descendants. The present, born from the past, gives rise to the future. Our future lies in our children, and their future, together with their parents, is shaped by you, teachers.

That is why, on this symbolic day, we will present the National Teacher’s Award to once again emphasise the crucial role, work, and contribution of teachers to generations, the nation, and the homeland,” said Shalva Papuashvili.

The Speaker of the Parliament also spoke about the upcoming education reform, emphasising that teachers will play a crucial role in its successful implementation.

“Today is particularly significant, as the Prime Minister of Georgia has recently announced the most extensive and fundamental reform in the history of Georgia’s independence, a reform that will impact our entire education system. We anticipate a thorough and comprehensive rethinking, with the integration of the education sector alongside the labour, knowledge, and science sectors of the state, as our nation, its independence, history, and sovereignty truly deserve.

In this process, the role of teachers, educators, and scientists is undeniably of the utmost importance. Recognising and valuing your work, and increasing labour productivity, should become much more tangible outcomes. This is how we will build a united, strong, and future-ready Georgia,” said Shalva Papuashvili.