On June 20, 2023, a meeting - world cafe on the topic "Country development/labor market and challenges of primary pedagogy" was held in the Caucasus University bookstore "Librarea", which was attended by elementary pedagogy students of the Caucasus School of Education; as well as teachers, parents, directors representing the school community, and employers from various fields.
The meeting was conducted using the parallel discussion method. The participants discussed the challenges we face in developing key competencies of life-long learning among students at the primary level of general education, which are a prerequisite for an individual's well-being and the country's sustainable development, and as a result, determine the challenges in the process of teacher training, the priorities of scientific work, and the issues of acquiring new knowledge.
The meeting was held within the framework of the project - a cycle of panel discussions on the topic "Development of the country (economy, democracy, peace) and the labor market - challenges of pedagogy 2023", which is carried out within the framework of the third mission of Caucasus University, which implies the contribution of the university to the economic growth of the country and the development of society.
As part of the third mission of the University, the Caucasus School of Education has been implementing similar projects since 2020: "Digital literacy and the challenges of primary education teacher training in the new Georgian reality" (2020); "Challenges of education" - cycle of public lectures 2021; "Public Lecture Cycle 2022 - Primary Education and Key Competences for Lifelong Learning" (see link for related reports).
The goals of the current project are to address the country's development and labor market challenges:
Understanding the responsibilities and response capabilities of the school community;
Identify current directions for scientific work of academic staff and students;
Promotion of a successful primary education response and a long-term process of relevant knowledge acquisition.
Based on the project's objectives, a series of panel discussions on the following topics is planned:
Key Competencies - Literacy and Challenges of Teaching Georgian Language at the Primary Level
Key Competencies and Challenges in Teaching Social Studies at the Elementary Level
Key Competencies and Challenges of Teaching STEM at the Primary Level
Key Competencies - Peace Education and Upbringing at the Primary Level
Representatives from the following interest groups will participate in the panel discussions: students of primary pedagogy, working teachers, parents, school principals/other administration and employer representatives, who will present their opinions, experiences, and visions on the aforementioned issue. Panel discussions are also available for applicants interested in the profession of pedagogy.
The meetings will be interactive, with participants having the opportunity to ask questions and make comments. Aluda Goglichidze, Dean of the Caucasus School of Education, Affiliated Associate Professor, and Paata Papava, Affiliated Associate Professor of Caucasus University, are providing general facilitation of the process.
In order to participate in each panel discussion, interested persons must register via the link that will be available on the Caucasus University Facebook page.
Within the framework of the project, video recording of panel discussions will be carried out, and the recording will be available on the Caucasus School of Education website.
Bachelor’s-Master’s Degree Program of Teacher of Primary Education
