Higher and Vocational Education, 2013-2017
Issue #102/ 03.05.2018
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High-quality education is one of the main determinants of economic growth. According to the “Government Program 2016-2020”, education is one of the main priorities for the Government of Georgia1. Since 2013, the allocated budget of the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Georgia and its share in GDP has been increasing annually. These dynamics can affect, both directly and indirectly, on economic indicators such as productivity, competitiveness, unemployment and welfare. In this regard, the review of different aspects of higher and vocational education is worthwhile. |
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Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia |
This newsletter entails an overview of dynamics behind the number of professors, the number of Georgian and foreign students, and the distribution of students according to education programs. |
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In order to partially estimate the educational preferences of Georgian school-leavers, it is worth observing the number of admitted students for bachelor’s programs, vocational programs of higher education institutions and other vocational programs (Graph 2). |
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In 2014, the number of students admitted to bachelor’s programs declined by 7%, compared to the previous year. This declining trend has continued in subsequent years as well. The number of students admitted to vocational programs not provided by higher education institutions has also been declining, beginning with a 24% drop in 2014 (Graph 2). |
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Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia |
In 2017, compared to 2016, the number of graduates from higher education institutions in bachelor’s programs increased by 13% and the number of graduates from vocational programs of higher education institutions increased by 25%. On the contrary, in 2016, compared to 2015, the number of graduates from vocational programs not provided by higher education institutions declined by 20%, and this declining trend continues. (Graph 4). |
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia |
In terms of the professors and other personnel of higher and vocational education institutions, in 2017 the number of professors in higher education institutions amounted to 8,231 and the number of employees in vocational institutions amounted to 4,084. The number of professors in higher education institutions has fluctuated slightly since 2013. Meanwhile, in 2017, compared to 2016, the number of employees in vocational institutions increased by 12%, despite a decline in the number of students admitted to such programs. This could be explained by new types of program (modules) that led to an increase in the number of subjects and teachers respectively. | ||
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia |
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Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia |
Meanwhile, since 2014 the proportion of students admitted into science programs has been increasing and since 2016 there has also been an increase in admissions to health and welfare. In contrast, the proportion of students admitted into humanities and arts in the total number of admitted students has been declining. In 2015, the science overtook humanities and arts, while in 2017 health and welfare overtook humanities and arts (Graph 6). The gender distribution is nearly even in higher education institutions with females making up 49%, and males making up 51%. |
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Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia |
The number of foreign students studying in Georgia in the 2017-2018 academic year is 10,152. The majority of foreign students participate in bachelor’s (31%) and master’s programs including residencies (68%). Notably, the number of foreign students has been increasing since 2015. For example, in 2017, compared to 2016, the number of foreign students studying in higher education institutions rose by 25%. The number of foreign students in bachelor’s programs declined by 14%, however the same indicator increased by 58% for master’s programs. This increase was largely fueled by the steep rise in the number of students enrolling in health and welfare programs (Graph 8).
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* Preliminary |
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PMCG Research | Giorgi Khishtovani | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +995 32 2 921 171 (103) | http://www.research.pmcg-i.com| |