The Ministry of Education and Science and the relevant parliamentary committee did not share the parents’ demand, who are requesting, for the 2026–2027 academic year, to allow as an exception the enrollment in the first grade of those children who turn 6 between September 16 and December 31 inclusive.

This demand was submitted to Parliament in the form of a petition and entered the legislative body with the signatures of more than 500 citizens. The Education and Science Committee discussed the petition at today’s session and considered further discussion of the raised issue inexpedient.

The petition speaks about allowing an exception for children born between September 16 and December 31, 2020. The authors of the petition proposed two ways to resolve the issue to the authorities: for the 2026/2027 academic year, at the parents’ decision and voluntarily, to grant the right of enrollment in the first grade to children born between September 16 and December 31, 2020; or, through the mechanism of assessing school readiness, to assess the readiness of those children who turn 6 between September 16 and December 31, 2026, and to make the decision on enrollment in the first grade for the 2026–2027 academic year based on that assessment.

As noted at the committee session by one of the signatories of the petition, Mariam Bokhua, due to certain circumstances the children have found themselves in a difficult situation, and the state is responsible to them. Attention was also drawn to the fact that two years ago Parliament adopted a law granting children who turn 6 between September 16 and December 31 the right to register in the first grade.

“I represent parents whose children need to be decided whether they will be given a chance to live in a rule-of-law state and have the right to go to school and receive education. We came to Parliament with a petition so that we would have a legal basis to allow an exception.

According to the law that existed before, the children were ready to enter school. Remaining outside of school will be a great stress for the children when all their peers go to school and these ones remain outside. In addition, these children are at such a stage of development that they are ready for school, and at this time telling them that they must go through the same stage of development again would be a great injustice toward the children,” – stated one of the signatories of the petition, Mariam Bokhua, at the committee session.

The Chair of the Education and Science Committee, Mariam Lashkhi, presented the ministry’s written response to the parents. Both the ministry and the Education Committee state that the demand raised within the framework of the petition does not serve the best interests of children under 6 years of age.

“According to the Constitution, preschool education is not compulsory. At the initial level of general education – in the first grade – children begin studies both with preschool education experience and without it. Also, the state standards of early and preschool upbringing and education clearly define the competencies and skills of a child’s development that are necessary for starting studies at the initial level of general education. A child’s school readiness is not limited to academic knowledge alone. It includes physical as well as cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral readiness, which is closely related to age.

The Ministry of Education and Science has completed the updating of school readiness programs. From the 2026–2027 academic year, new curricula will be implemented in preschool education institutions in 5–6-year age groups, which promote the holistic development of the child – including the development of social, emotional, motor, and research skills, along with curiosity and creative abilities, as well as the development of other necessary skills and habits. Methodological guides have been published in Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani languages and are quite enriched compared to the previously existing resources with practical scenarios and examples, updated plan samples, and video examples filmed in preschool upbringing and education institutions. The curriculum has been completely changed in content, which must be taken into account both in public and private institutions.

In view of the above, the ministry considers discussion of the first issue requested in the petition inexpedient, as it does not serve the best interests of children under 6 years of age.

As for the second issue provided for in the petition, which concerns the use of school readiness assessment mechanisms, the practical application of this requires long-term observation of the child and not a one-time but staged assessment. Observation of physical and cognitive skills, as well as psycho-emotional and social skills, which are related to the relevant competencies, requires a large amount of human resources. At this stage, the ministry considers discussion of this demand inexpedient,” – this is the position of the Ministry of Education and Science, which Mariam Lashkhi presented to the authors of the petition.

In turn, Lashkhi, on behalf of the committee, emphasized the fact that kindergartens have become completely free, and according to her, families can provide their children with full school readiness without financial burden.

According to Lashkhi’s statement, so-called pre-school groups have been organized in pilot mode in 150 schools, and children under 6 years of age have the opportunity to undergo school preparation physically in the school environment and continue their studies at school the following year.

Mariam Lashkhi also drew attention to statistics in response to the authors of the petition and stated that for the 2025–2026 academic year, 14,687 children turned 6 between September 16 and December 31, of whom 8,329 children were registered in school.