The 2012-2013 academic year will begin on September 17th in all public schools throughout Georgia. Schools are already preparing for the starting of classes, planning to pick up where they left off. This year, 527 Public schools are being rehabilitated while the Ministry of Education and Science continues to deliver free books as part of the Social Program. For the first time about 140,000 students (including 12th graders) will receive textbooks from the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia

The books will be available to:

· Members of vulnerable families (those with scores less than 70001);

· Siblings who study at the same school;

· To the children of soldiers who died in the August 2008 War.

Approximately 1 million books will be delivered to these three categories of students on September 17th.

For the first time, textbooks will be sold in 400 public schools throughout Georgia in addition to retail stores. The books will be distributed in such a way that children from neighboring schools will have the opportunity to access a nearby school to buy books as well. The cost of a single book will be no more than 10 Gel and will be available to purchase from September 10th to October 8th. The list of schools with books on sale will be posted on the official web page of The Ministry on September 1st.

According to the memorandum between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Georgian Post, anyone is now able to order home delivery of textbooks on the Georgian Post website. People living in Tbilisi will receive their deliveries within 24 hours while the regions will receive theirs within 48. The Georgian Post hot line is available for questions at 2 24 09 09 and more detailed information can be found at www.gpost.ge.

In addition to books, all first grade children will receive net books on September 17th.