So-called education reform serves corrupt interests, opposition politician Gotsiridze

Opposition politician Roman Gotsiridze has criticized the government’s announced education reform, describing it as a criminal venture designed to benefit officials entrenched in power and their personal financial interests.

Speaking to Front News, Gotsiridze highlighted the logistical difficulties posed by the reform, noting that daily transportation of tens of thousands of students and faculty outside city centers exacerbates challenges for residents of Tbilisi, Rustavi, and Kutaisi, as well as university staff and students.

“The construction of university campuses in Rustavi, housing 40,000 people, and in Kutaisi, housing 20,000, with a total cost of GEL 1 billion, is absurd. It primarily serves the corrupt and financial interests of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s construction affiliates,” Gotsiridze said.

He outlined what he considered the objectives of the reform:

• Acquire and sell university buildings in central Tbilisi at low cost.
  
  

• Award lucrative contracts to Georgian Dream-affiliated construction firms.
  
  

• Increase sales of cement produced by companies linked to Ivanishvili and Rukhadze, particularly after the exit of the German company Heidelberg from Georgia.
  
  

• Boost distribution of construction materials from Rustavi’s metallurgical plant, owned by Ivanishvili’s business partner, Irakli Rukhadze.
  
  

• Allow supporters of Georgian Dream to profit from land acquisitions in Rustavi and Kutaisi worth hundreds of millions of lari, creating further opportunities for corruption. 

“Outside the cities, the daily movement of tens of thousands of students and teachers in conditions of transport congestion generates additional difficulties not only for residents of Tbilisi, Rustavi, and Kutaisi but also for university students and staff. This so-called education reform is criminal and serves the personal, corrupt interests of officials entrenched in power,” Gotsiridze concluded.