giorgi margvelashvili

Education Minister Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s education minister Giorgi Margvelashvili has announced that school books will be free for every pupil in 2013-2014.

He made the announcement at a press conference at one of the schools in Tbilisi on Monday.

Margvelashvili underlined that free books will free up money for parents to spend on other things.

“Parents will have the opportunity to spend this money on taking care of their children or maybe arrange a holiday in summer,” he said, adding that this is a constitutional obligation, as constitution says that studying at school is free.

“We feel obliged to assure that parents of 650 000 pupils not have to spend money on textbooks,” Margvelashvili added.

Instead, publishers will be paid by the ministry.

A full set of textbooks for eight to ninth grade in an ordinary schools costs between 70 and 90 USD.