The results of the project on ‘integration of media literacy into formal education’ presented at the Ministry of Education and Science

Tbilisi, Georgia, April 5, 2023. The results and future plans of the joint project of the Communications Commission (ComCom), UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, "Integrating Media Literacy into Formal Education", were discussed at the meeting held in the Ministry of Education and Science. The event was opened by the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Giorgi Amilakhvari, ComCom member Natia Kukuladze, and the Representative of UNICEF in Georgia, Ghassan Khalil, who emphasized the importance of integrating media literacy into formal education.

The project's current results and future plans were discussed at the meeting. As part of the initiative, an educational standard of media literacy, a manual, and a training module for teachers were developed. Around 600 teachers were trained in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Zestafon, Ambrolauri, Gori, Mtskheta, Telavi, Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, Marneuli, Akhaltsikhe, and Pankisi. The participant teachers discussed the training and shared their own experiences. Certificates were issued at the end of the meeting.

Media literacy will be added to the curriculum for tenth graders as an optional subject. School students, with the support of trained teachers, will learn media literacy during one semester. They will receive information about media and information language, information processing, and disinformation. Students will be equipped with specific resources and skills to verify information and facts.

The project "Integrating Media Literacy into Formal Education" has been implemented by the Communications Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and with the support of UNICEF since 2022.