10.1 Quality Assurance in Early and preschool education and care and School Education

Quality assurance in early and preschool education and care, and school education, in Georgia operates within a national framework that combines external evaluation and internal self-assessment to ensure compliance with state standards and support institutional development.

The foundations of quality assurance in this sector are laid out in several key legal acts, most notably the Law of Georgia on Early and Preschool Education and Care and the Law of Georgia on General Education. These laws establish standards for institutional operation, governance, and evaluation, while distinguishing responsibilities between central and local authorities. 

In early and preschool education and care, municipalities have primary responsibility for establishing, managing, and monitoring institutions. However, under amendments introduced in 2023 (Government Decree No. 76), the authority for authorization has been temporarily centralized and assigned to the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) until 2030. After this transitional period, responsibility for quality assurance is expected to return to municipalities, in accordance with the law.

In general education, quality assurance is coordinated at the national level. The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth defines curriculum standards and policy priorities, while the NCEQE is responsible for external evaluation through institutional authorization.

Quality assurance in both sectors is based on two main components: external authorization and internal self-evaluation.

External evaluation is conducted by the NCEQE and is mandatory for all institutions. Authorization assesses compliance with national standards in areas such as governance, curriculum implementation, human resources, infrastructure, and learner safety. Authorization is granted for a defined period (six years for preschool institutions and nine years for general education institutions), subject to continued compliance.

Recent reforms have enhanced the transparency and consistency of external evaluation. The new authorization standards for early and preschool education and care focus on four key domains:  mission and strategic development, curriculum, family and community involvement, and support for education and care. These standards emphasize inclusivity, collaboration with parents, and attention to the holistic development of the child. 

As part of this reform, in 2025, the authorization process for early childhood and preschool education institutions for the 2025–2030 period was launched. Currently, 120 kindergartens are authorized (119 public and 1 private), and the authorization process is ongoing for 126 kindergartens. 

Internal evaluation is carried out at the institutional level. In general education, schools conduct regular self-evaluation based on authorization standards, focusing on institutional processes rather than direct measurement of student outcomes. In the preschool sector, internal monitoring is organized by municipalities and institutional management, ensuring alignment with national standards and supporting child development and well-being.

Coordination between national and local levels is a defining feature of Georgia’s quality assurance model. While the MoESY and NCEQE provide national oversight and methodological guidance, municipalities play a key role in implementing internal evaluation procedures in early childhood institutions and in ensuring that local educational services reflect state standards. 

In 2024, the Parliament of Georgia approved an updated document outlining the national goals of general education. This resolution further linked quality assurance to the broader objectives of civic education, inclusivity, and lifelong learning. It also emphasized that evaluation mechanisms should not only verify compliance but also stimulate pedagogical innovation and collaboration among schools. 

This model reflects a combination of centralized external oversight and decentralized internal responsibility, particularly in early childhood education, where municipalities play a key role.

As of March 2026, 569 public schools have been authorized under the new standards.