Study of the Higher Education Minority Quota System Policy in Georgia, 2010-2019
Author: Tabatadze, Shalva
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Higher Education,College Students,Minority Group Students,High School Seniors,Affirmative Action,Educational Policy,State Policy,Program Evaluation,Second Language Programs,Ethnic Groups,Program Development,Program Implementation,Graduation Rate,Program Improvement,Program Effectiveness,Student Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Extracurricular Activities,Technology Uses in Education,Dropout Rate,Social Integration,College Admission,Student Recruitment,Equal Education,Program Administration

This document is a report on the research which was designed to evaluate the affirmative action policy for ethnic minorities in Georgia. The mixed research methods were utilized in the study. Specifically, the following research methods were used: (1) Survey of 12th graders in non-Georgian schools; (2) Survey of the students in the One-Year Georgian Language Program; (3) Focus group discussions with BA program students enrolled through the quota system in Georgia HEI [higher educational institutions]; (4) focus group discussions with graduates of the 1+4 program; (5) In-depth interviews with lecturers and heads of Georgia HEI programs; and (6) Desk research. Each research method explored specific topics. The research had important finding, which are discussed in different chapters of the report. The first chapter of the document reviews the ongoing affirmative action policy in Georgia's higher education admission system from 2005 to the present. The second chapter describes the research methodology, and the third chapter presents the development and elaboration of the One-Year Georgian Language Program from its first accreditation to the present. The program elaboration process is described for each of the higher educational institutions (HEI) of Georgia that implement the program. The fourth chapter overviews the process of ethnic minorities' enrollment in Georgia's HEI in 2010-2019, the students' grants distribution by ethnic groups based on their General Skills exam results, the dropout rates in university undergraduate studies, and ethnic minority students' choice of programs. The fifth chapter presents 12th graders' level of preparation for enrollment in Georgia's HEI, and also presents the patterns in post-school plans of graduates of non-Georgian schools. It overviews as well the process of university entrants' recruitment and the local population's level of awareness of the affirmative action policy. The sixth chapter describes the planning, implementation processes, and instructional practices in the One Year Georgian Language Program and their effectiveness in providing students with a proper learning environment. This chapter presents the results for each HEI involved in the study and makes comparisons as well with studies conducted in 2013 and 2016. The seventh chapter focuses on ethnic minority students' challenges and problems in undergraduate study programs. The eighth chapter addresses university graduates' challenges in finding employment and integrating into society, while the final chapter offers recommendations to improve the affirmative action policy's effectiveness. [This research was conducted in the framework of the Promotion of Integration, Tolerance and Awareness (PITA) Program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG).]