Overall targets
Our development objective is to strengthen ESFTUG’s educational policy capacity and its democ-ratic mandate from the members so teachers actually influence educational policy decisions in Georgia.
Immediate targets
a. ESFTUG’s increased policy capacity has influenced the social dialogue with the ministry of educ. so ministerial educational policy initiatives have been changed as a result of ESFTUG’s influence. b. Teachers participate in educational policy de-bates in ESFTUG and have initiated at least 6 local school development projects (eg. changes in school culture or teaching practice).
Target groups
The primary target group is the 480 Georgian teachers including local union representatives from ESFTUG and some headmasters – the 240 who will be participating in the educational policy seminars and the local following-up seminars for the participants. In additional another 240 teachers will participate in the six regional dissemination meetings. The secondary target group consists of the colleagues to the primary participants at their schools and their school heads, who will be involve in school development projects.
Resume
Building on our experience from our Neighbourhood Fund cooperation project in 2017-18 we now focus on how to increase the advocacy capacity of our partner the Georgian Teacher Union and its members. We organize six educational policy theme seminars that strengthen ESFTUG's ability to play an active role in the now established social sector dialogue with the Ministry of Education. We strengthen the local dissemination and support the capacity of teachers locally to influence and play an active role in the local debate on school development. We do this by formally structuring the dialogue between participating teachers after the seminars and by organising six regional dissemination meetings in more remote areas to engage teacher all over Georgia in the process. These dissemination activities are organised by ESFTUG and give the union a feedback from its members, so the union can speak with a stronger mandate from members in the social dialogue with the Ministry of education.