We inform you that on January 16, 2017, the newspaper "Kviris Palitra" published an article about the bonuses and supplements to salary issued by various ministries and LEPLs thereof. The publication was based on the analysis of the public information requested by "Mediator", the monitoring center.

In the interview with the newspaper, the organization representative believes that some roles of the ministries are mixed among the LEPLs thereof; in particular, he meant the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and its two LEPLs - the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement and the National Center for Teacher Professional Development. According to him, the duties imposed upon the LEPLs could be easily performed by a single organization.

Although the National Center for Teacher Professional Development is against the futile discussion with the author of the completely absurd opinion, we feel obliged to the public, whose interest in such matters is absolutely legitimate, to clarify as follows:

• The "Mediator" representative is possibly not familiar with the structure of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia; otherwise he would know that neither teacher professional development nor the education quality control is included in any functions of the Ministry structure.
• The "Mediator" representative, in order to determine whether the Center should be cancelled or the Center staff deserves incentives, had better request along with the information about the amount of bonuses and supplements to salary the data of the previous year about the number of teachers retrained and directions of such trainings. We would like to inform the society that in the scope of the Teacher Induction, Professional Development and Career Advancement Scheme 50 829 teachers, evaluation team members and school administration officials have been trained in various areas. A range of vocational development trainings have been taken by 28 935 teachers and school directors. The figures demonstrate the enormous work done by employees of the Center with the greatest commitment.
• In addition to the above activities, the Center is carrying out the most important targeted programs which provide equal access to education in the mountainous regions, as well as promote teaching of the State language for non-Georgian teachers and students. The two most significant objectives completely justify the Center’s mission and purpose.
• As for teacher’s subject (not certification) exams, the result thereof depends on the preparation of an individual teacher. Every year the Center encourages all public school teachers to participate in subject trainings funded by the state budget and activate their knowledge. We are distancing ourselves from some people who think that the Center is the exam preparation tutoring institution and we would like to clarify that teachers acquire and improve academic knowledge at universities and the Center’s role is to built on such knowledge the latest information relevant to the challenges existing in education, promote the introduction of innovations and improve teachers’ qualification.

The Center supports the public observance of budget resources and strengthening of the mechanism; however, at the same time we demand that the process be carried out in a more competent manner and any assumptions related to the Center's activities be announced and declared on the basis of compelling arguments and evidence. The Center will continue the development of policies related to the teaching profession and implementation of its functions in accordance with the provisions arising from the education challenges in Georgia.