Access to Higher Education: Problems and Solutions

On February 17, 2015, representatives of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) presented the findings of the study supported by the Open Society Georgia Foundation, Access to the Higher Education: Problems and Solutions, at Civic Engagement Centers in Batumi and Kutaisi.  After the presentation the participants that included parents of twelfth-graders and freshmen, schoolteachers, and employees of the Educational Resource Centers were asked to respond to the following questions:

• Why is the knowledge obtained at secondary in schools not sufficient for successfully passing the university entrance examinations?
• Why is the knowledge obtained at secondary school sufficient for school graduation exams but not for successfully passing the university entrance examinations?
• What is the tutoring cost per student per month, and how much time is needed to prepare a student for the university entrance examinations?
• How do the families cover tutoring costs?
• What must be done to make private tutoring unnecessary?

The goal of the study Access to the Higher Education: Problems and Solutions was to assess the accessibility of higher education in Georgia, to identify barrier to higher education access, and provide recommendations for solutions. To date the total of 989 secondary school pupils and 731 HEI students were interviewed both in Tbilisi and the regions of Georgia. The results of this survey revealed the high student interest in getting enrolled in higher education institutions.  This interest was somewhat lower among young people from Marneuli and Akhalkalaki Districts.

Chart1.  Desire to continue education

Majority of those who do not plan to continue their education point to the economic status of their families as the reason behind their decision: cannot afford tuition fees (8.3 percent, 21.6 percent, and 8.6 percent), unable to pay for private tutors (4.4 percent, 12.6 percent, and 3.2 percent) and poor knowledge (3.7 percent, 13.1 percent, and 3.2 percent in all of Georgia, Marneuli, and Akhalkalaki, respectively). Most interviewees believe that the knowledge received at schools is not sufficient for successfully passing national entrance examinations requirements. Many of the interviewees also think that knowledge obtained at schools is not enough to pass school graduation exams.

Discussions will be continued in other Georgian regions during this Spring.  The opinions of their participants will be reflected in recommendations included in the final version of the study.