“Under the Georgian Dream, the education system is on the verge of collapse,” Irakli Kupradze, one of the leaders of Lelo – Strong Georgia, said at a briefing.

According to him, the Georgian Dream and, personally, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze should be held responsible for the fact that 55 children from 20 Tbilisi kindergartens have been taken to medical facilities with acute symptoms of intoxication.

“Before the start of the academic year, Lelo – Strong Georgia provided you with information from the regions and Tbilisi about the crisis, illegality, corruption and looting in the education sector carried out by the Georgian Dream. Today, 55 children from 20 Tbilisi kindergartens are receiving medical treatment at various medical facilities due to acute intoxication. This is further proof that 20 kindergartens were at risk because of mismanagement, corruption and the looting of Georgian citizens. This is a clear example of how the Georgian Dream does not care about future generations and of the situation in kindergartens. Under the Georgian Dream, the education system is on the verge of collapse.

“First of all, we will present the Georgian population with a comprehensive report on infrastructure. According to official data, 131 schools currently require rehabilitation, and tenders have not even been announced for 60 of them. Of the 284 schools in Tbilisi, 38 public schools were unable to start the academic year in their own buildings. This means that more than 20,000 schoolchildren cannot study in their own schools today. At the same time, there is always money available for Kobakhidze, Mdinaradze, Zarqua and others to spend from the state budget, hold events and banquets, and buy new cars. There was no money or time to announce tenders for more than 60 schools,” Kupradze said.

According to him, in 2026, 188 schools did not admit a single first-grader, “which is an extremely serious figure.”

“Seven hundred and twenty-seven schools have five or fewer students. This figure points to the genocide of the Georgian people carried out by the Georgian Dream and the Kobakhidze-Mdinaradze government against our country. The crisis in the education system continues,” Irakli Kupradze said.

He also referred to a UNICEF finding according to which 35% of children in Georgia experience hunger.

According to Kupradze, this is why Lelo – Strong Georgia is calling for free school meals.

“The Georgian Dream is falsifying Georgia’s history. They have introduced textbooks written by Georgian Dream officials, in which Georgia’s real history has essentially disappeared. Important references to Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the defense of Georgia’s national interests and uprisings against Russia have disappeared. This is an attempt to falsify Georgia’s history.

“We warn everyone that Georgia’s future is at risk — its content, history, destroyed schools and demographics. In more than 1,000 schools, or approximately 30%, no first-graders enrolled at all, while in nearly 730 schools there are fewer than five students. This is a genocide declared against the Georgian people by the Georgian Dream. We will continue this fight and defend the interests of the Georgian people to the very end,” Kupradze said.

For reference, the Investigation Service has launched an investigation into cases of intoxication at kindergartens. According to the agency, 55 children and one teacher from 20 kindergartens in Tbilisi are showing signs of intoxication, and they received medical assistance at six clinics. More than 50 legal representatives of children and employees of medical facilities have already been interviewed as part of the investigation.

“According to information available at this stage, the intoxication may be linked to a bacterial infection, the source of which is presumably food products consumed at the kindergartens. The specific product that caused the intoxication will be determined following the relevant expert examination. The investigation is ongoing. Items, documents and food products relevant to the case will be seized from all kindergartens where cases of intoxication have been reported,” the statement said.