On November 6, 2017, Nino Ratishvili, host of the television program on Obieqtivi TV, as well as leaders of the Alliance of Patriots, Irma Inashvili and Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, discussed new preschool education standards approved by the government in a homophobic context and described them as an imposed obligation aimed at changing the traditional roles of women and men.
Irma Inashvili, the Alliance of Patriots: “It is part of the ideology and the campaign that we are talking about [homosexuals] and continuation of the previous question, is not it? I think that introduction of such standards should be banned at a legislative level. It is nothing but imposing something on the future of my children; it is nothing but distorting their future…”
Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, the Alliance of Patriots: “A kindergarten or a school should not try to encourage small girls, ladies to become builders involved in concrete filling process; it’s idiocy. No such attempts should take place…”
Nino Ratishvili: Or to encourage boys to play with dolls…
Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi: A woman should not reject a headscarf and a man should not say no to mannish behavior. It also requires a struggle…”
interpretation of the new preschool education standards, also promoted by other sources, is speculative, as it is linked to inclusive education and aims at equal involvement of children in the learning process, regardless of their religious, ethnic, gender or other background.
What do the new standards envisage?
The government approved the preschool education standards on October 27, 2017 and they will enter into force from 2018. A wave of speculations has been caused by article 19, involving the issues of inclusive education. According to paragraph 2 of article 19, preschool teachers should not distinguish children on the basis of gender, but instead they should promote the participation of both girls and boys in any types of activities.
“Paragraph 2 of article 19: “Standard – the program shall ensure equal involvement of every child regardless of his/her capabilities. Standard indicators:
Teachers shall equally treat each child and shall not distinguish them on the basis of their capabilities, appearance, religion, age, ethnicity, social status or other background.
The institutional environment shall be adapted to the needs of every child.
Teachers shall not distinguish children on the basis of gender – instead, they shall promote the participation of girls and boys in all types of activities.”
government’s decree on approval of the new standards notes that a teacher has to observe the principles of humanism, equality and tolerance in the educational process, to react adequately to any discriminative attitudes as well as to promote the change of stereotypical attitudes and the establishment of equality values.
Head of Pre-School Education Development Division of the Ministry of Education and Science, Nino Beselia said in the interview with Myth Detector that speculations around the preschool education standards aim at misleading the public. She explained that the article on inclusive approach envisages equal involvement of girls and boys in daily routines as well as assuming equal responsibilities by them for keeping the environment clean (for example, making the bed, clearing the table, etc.).
Maia Kuparadze, UNICEF Education Officer, explained that the purpose of the approved standards is to improve the quality of educational process in preschool institutions. She also noted that the paragraphs related to inclusive approach and equal participation of girls and boys in the educational process, are built on the values of Georgia’s national and cultural heritage.
Other sources of speculations
Other sources also criticized the approach free of gender stereotypes as a norm imposed by the West and a threat of losing the identity. These sources are: ultranationalist edition Alt-Info and a Facebook page Anti-Liberal Club, affiliated to it; Archpriest Davit Isakadze; Leader of the Union of Orthodox Parents, Avtandil Ungiadze and other representatives of Georgian society.
Messages and Sources about Preschool Education Standards
| Alliance of Patriots | “A woman should not reject a headscarf and a man should not say no to mannish behavior. It also requires a struggle.” |
| Archpriest Davit Isakadze | “It will be extremely dangerous for our country, our society, our future generation.” |
| Avtandil Ungiadze, Union of Orthodox Parents | “Zombifying of our children, our future generation starts from already kindergartens, portraying as if they are not a boy and a girl, but instead belong to some uncertain biological sex.” |
| Nino Samkharadze, journalist, Alia | “They give dolls to boys and weapons to girls; they prepare them psychologically in order to disrupt gender balance in the future.” |
| Alt-Info | “They will teach children that gender is not defined biologically, but it can be selected and a child should himself/herself choose which gender he/she is identified with.” |
| Anti-Liberal Club | “Inclusion of gender ideology in educational system definitely means that children are taught from already the kindergarten age that being a transgender is a norm.” |
| Davit Peradze, Head of the Coordinating Center | “They offered a boy to perform as a princess and a girl – to perform as a prince. How cannot dressing a child [a boy] as a girl affect his psychics and sexual orientation?” |
| Tamta Megrelishvili, lawyer | “In this situation, child’s thinking is distorted from already the kindergarten age. A child will decide that a gender can be selected!” |
Myth Detector Laboratory
