Why should I be interested in this topic?

According to the latest census data in Georgia, ethnic minorities make up approximately 13% of the population. Among these minorities, approximately 6% are Azerbaijani and around 5% are ethnic Armenians. In regions like Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli, and Kakheti, where these minority groups primarily reside, proficiency in the official state language represents a particular challenge. Thus, the issue of ensuring their equal participation in the country’s socio-economic life persists.

Our Comment

Proficiency in both the native and official languages provides more opportunities for the representatives of the ethnic minorities to effectively participate in the social life of the country. Addressing this challenge requires a systemic solution from the state through the development of a multidimensional, comprehensive, and long-term policy.

What does the Constitution state?

According to the Constitution, Georgia is a social state ensuring the principles of social justice, social equality, and social solidarity. Furthermore, the state guarantees equitable social and economic progress across all regions within its jurisdiction.

The supreme law of the state stipulates that Georgian is the official language of Georgia, in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, also Abkhazian. Moreover, the state upholds the longstanding tradition of fostering the coexistence of diverse languages and cultures within the country. Additionally, every citizen of Georgia is entitled to preserve and cultivate their cultural heritage without facing discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or language. They also enjoy the freedom to use their native languages in both private and public spheres.

What do international regulations entail?

The State is bound by the obligation to safeguard the identity of ethnic minorities while simultaneously facilitating their integration into society. As outlined in the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, proficiency in the official state language is recognized as a crucial tool for such integration. The Convention underscores the significance of enabling ethnic minorities to actively participate in social and economic spheres, ensuring their access to education, employment, and social services.

Georgia is committed to fulfilling its social and economic inclusion obligations in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Association Agreement with the EU. The Association Agreement aims to ensure access to an inclusive labor market and the implementation of the policies for social protection, social engagement, and anti-discrimination for the representatives of various groups, including the ethnic minorities.  According to the Sustainable Development Goals, access to quality education is a priority, alongside fostering an inclusive approach within the public sector.

Georgia’s Legislative Framework Concerning Language

Language and Education

Preschool and General Education -The Law of Georgia on the State Language ensures that education is available in both the state language and non-state languages, including those of ethnic minorities. Simultaneously, the law mandates the inclusion of bilingual learning in the unified program of the state language. According to the Law of Georgia on Preschool Education, preschool educational institutions may provide educational services in children's native languages or/and non-state languages. However, non-Georgian preschool educational institutions must support the development of basic communication skills in the Georgian language. Furthermore, Georgian must be taught as a subject in non-Georgian general educational facilities.

Vocational and Higher Education - Ethnic minorities have the opportunity to undergo the selection procedure at vocational educational institutions in their native languages. Subsequently, they are offered a Georgian language learning module. Upon successful completion, they are given an opportunity to continue their studies in vocational educational programs. For higher education, a 1+4 program is available, which involves passing a mandatory general aptitude skills test in minority languages. Following this, students must complete a one-year mandatory preparatory program in the Georgian language. After successful completion, they can pursue Bachelor's level programs of their choice.

Adult Education – With regard to adult education, ethnic minorities can access state language learning programs through regional centers of the LEPL Zurab Zhvania School of Public Administration. These programs are also offered through mobile groups and remote hybrid learning options, depending on the place of residence. Currently, this program serves to diverse target groups and age categories.

Language and Employment  

There are several programs facilitating employment for ethnic minorities available through the Social Service Agency. Additionally, internship opportunities are offered at public institutions as part of the 1+4 programs. However, due to the incoherent employment policy in Georgia, these programs have not had a significant impact on the economic participation of ethnic minorities.

Language and Access to State Services

According to the law of Georgia on the State Language, the state must provide interpretation services in the native language of residents when interacting with state and municipal bodies in municipalities with significantly populated with ethnic minorities. Furthermore, the law entails the possibility of establishing procedures that are different from procedures provided for by the General Administrative Code of Georgia for ethnic minority representatives, including the translation of applications, complaints, and responses to such correspondence. Additionally, the law also permits the translation of normative documents issued by municipalities into minority languages.

State Strategy on Civil Equality and Integration

The State Strategy for Civil Equality and Integration sets strengthening proficiency in the state language to facilitate civil integration as the first priority. The strategy delineates specific tasks across all education levels, including adult and non-formal educational programs, aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the state language. Furthermore, it underscores the development of programs and services pertaining to employment, entrepreneurship, and self-employment opportunities. While the inclusion of these activities in policy documents is commendable, the measures are often formulated in broad terms, making it challenging to assess the effectiveness of the results.

Persisting Challenges

In its latest opinion, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Council of Europe) underscores that measures aimed at enhancing proficiency in the state language have not adequately addressed the issue in a structured and systematic manner, particularly at the preschool, primary, and secondary levels. Within this context, critique is expressed toward the quality of learning materials and the training of teachers.

Concerning higher education, the committee acknowledges the success of the 1+4 program but notes that there still is room for further improvement. While the program has positively impacted access to higher education for ethnic minorities, it falls short in providing equal conditions.  Moreover, the program dropout rates are particularly high, with approximately 20% of participants completing the higher education level.

In the Parliamentary Report, the Public Defender highlights an increase in the number of beneficiaries participating in programs administered at the Zhvania Center in recent years. However, only 51.6% of participants successfully completed the program between 2019 and 2022. Additionally, a mere 1.3% of program participants were employed in public sector institutions.

As for access to public services for ethnic minorities, despite legislative guarantees, a number of challenges persist. These include language barriers and a shortage of individuals fluent in minority languages within public institutions where services are provided. A challenge in terms of provision and access to health services also persists, especially for the residents of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli. Furthermore, there is a problem of lack of information about the available municipal programs within these communities.

What Should the State Do?

The social and economic challenges ethnic minorities face are exacerbated by their limited proficiency in the state language. However, this issue is not the sole contributing factor to their vulnerability. Addressing these challenges requires a systemic approach and the development of a state policy grounded in critical analysis of already implemented programs. While language remains a primary barrier, it is imperative to effectively implement a bilingual learning model. This entails establishing a system that ultimately aims to attain a high level of proficiency in individuals' mother tongues alongside fluency in the state language.

This article is produced under project “Increasing Public Resilience in Ethnic Minority Regions through Access to Information and Analysis,” funded by a grant from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) with the support of the UK Government. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of IWPR or the UK Government.