The order of the Minister of Education, which concerns the introduction of a personal data protection officer in the structure of schools, serves to continue the wave of terror that has begun in various directions and fields across the country, said Pikria Chikhradze, one of the leaders of the coalition Strong Georgia, at today's briefing.

According to her assessment, instead of ensuring universal access to education, improving school infrastructure, and resolving food-related issues, the government is creating new mechanisms of control.

"These are control mechanisms similar to what Georgian Dream representatives attempted to introduce in the media under the guise of British standards. Now, they want to implement such mechanisms for controlling civil society and present them as if they were American, claiming they are introducing European regulations. The government has officially halted the country's path toward Europe, which has sparked massive protests that continue to this day. It is cynical for the Ministry of Education to act as if it is separate from this situation—we cannot accept that. There is serious protest and dissatisfaction among education workers and schools; they are also part of this broader movement. Naturally, the alarmed government wants to tighten control mechanisms, overseeing their actions and movements even more strictly.

It is absurd to claim that these new measures are meant to protect personal data when the entire Georgian society is already under constant video surveillance and monitoring. Their explanation is absolutely cynical and laughable. I believe that the only way to escape this distorted system is to hold new elections, bring a democratic government to power, and implement fundamental and radical reforms in all areas, including education," said Chikhradze.

For reference, under the new regulation, based on a public school director's recommendation, the head of the resource center will appoint a special representative responsible for personal data protection in schools within their jurisdiction.

The current Minister of Education, Science, and Youth, Aleksandre Tsuladze, introduced this change by amending an order issued by his predecessor in 2006.

Aleksandre Tsuladze signed the order on March 12.

According to the document, the job description and accountability of the appointed officers will be determined by an individual administrative-legal act (order) issued by the respective school director.

"The head of the resource center, based on the request of a school director, will designate a resource center employee as a personal data protection officer for public schools in their area that do not already have one. The officer's job description and accountability will be defined by an individual administrative-legal act issued by the school director," the document states.