Access to education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A quality education is essential not only for a person's intellectual development, but for their moral development as well — for instilling in them the values that go with it. This is precisely why all developed societies invest enormous resources in educating future generations.

As a result of the realities that have taken shape in Abkhazia over the past thirty years, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the younger generation to obtain a quality education. An outdated, Soviet-era educational system and a shortage of qualified teachers place the region's youth at an unequal footing with their peers. While the population of Abkhazia places great importance on the education of coming generations and on creating prospects for a better future, the deliberate restrictions that prevent young people from receiving a quality education in Georgian-controlled territory appear deeply troubling and incomprehensible.

The success of the reforms carried out in Georgia's educational system is widely acknowledged. Georgian universities offer pathways to hundreds of international higher education institutions around the world. They also provide students with scholarships and access to free bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. This is precisely why many foreign students choose to study at Georgian universities, which maintain bilateral relationships with leading higher education institutions in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Many people in Abkhazia — including some representatives of the de facto authorities — received their education at Georgian universities, but for political reasons prefer not to mention this fact in their biographies. In the 21st century, it is unacceptable to politicize the issue of education to the point where people feel compelled to conceal qualifications they have legitimately earned.

Due to the closure of the Enguri checkpoint and the pressure exerted on them, prospective students are unfortunately unable to freely cross into Georgian-controlled territory to participate in entrance examinations or other educational programs specifically designed to facilitate their access to quality education. The Enguri bridge was closed on June 28, 2019 — precisely at the moment when entrance examinations were beginning. The so-called administration of the Gali district monitored every applicant, though some managed to cross covertly, either by paying bribes or by risking their own lives and health. For those who were unable to cross, the Georgian government took the unprecedented step of enrolling them in Georgian universities without examinations.

Due to pressure, some students were compelled to enroll in local institutions. However, they were subsequently given the opportunity to take advantage of a mobility program allowing them to continue their studies at Georgian universities without examinations and with full funding.

This year, in addition to the closed Enguri crossing, young people intending to apply to Georgian universities faced individual warnings from Russia's FSB that "unauthorized border crossing" would carry legal consequences. This was, in effect, a direct threat. It manifested in an even more severe form in South Ossetia, where applicants and their parents were told that "if they crossed the border, they would not be able to return." Once again, the Georgian government decided to enroll such applicants in Georgian universities without entrance examinations.

The difficult socioeconomic situation and the inability to receive education in their native language negatively affect the level of educational attainment among young people living in Abkhazia. As a result, they sometimes struggle to compete in entrance examinations with peers living on the other side of the Enguri. It is for precisely this reason that Tbilisi has developed a tailored approach aimed at creating equal conditions and ensuring access to education.

To this end, a post-secondary preparatory program was established in 2019, providing several months of preparatory courses at Tbilisi or Zugdidi State Universities, with a monthly stipend and accommodation provided. This program is one of the instruments of the Georgian government's peace initiative "A Step to a Better Future" and grants admission to Georgian universities without entrance examinations. In 2019, 139 students from Abkhazia and South Ossetia enrolled through this pathway; in the current year, the number rose to 180 — double the figure from previous years.

For Abkhazian youth who do not speak Georgian, a separate 1+4 program has been created, allowing admission to Georgian universities on the basis of an examination in Abkhazian language and literature.

A student admitted to a Georgian university through any of the above pathways receives accommodation and fully free tuition. They are also given the opportunity to study in Georgian, Russian, or English-language programs, and to continue their education through international programs with international scholarships — either during or after their studies.

It is worth noting specifically that these educational opportunities do not require a Georgian citizen's passport. As part of the "A Step to a Better Future" peace initiative, a completely status-neutral mechanism has been created — registration by personal number — whereby students can enroll in Georgian universities and receive full funding using an individual number issued on the basis of so-called Abkhazian documents. A personal identification number in Georgia is assigned to all categories of individuals, including foreign citizens and stateless persons.

Georgian legislation provides for a completely neutral procedure for recognizing secondary and higher education credentials obtained in Abkhazia. Since 2017, this process has been further simplified. As a result, a recognition document can be obtained without acquiring Georgian citizenship, without providing witnesses, and without even crossing the Enguri — by submitting an online application, including in the Abkhazian language, either personally or through international organizations. Such a document confers the right both to study and to seek employment.

This unique opportunity to receive a quality education is of particular importance to young people living in Abkhazia, since the difficult socioeconomic conditions make self-funded education of this kind entirely out of reach for them.

Students who receive education at leading universities are among the most important driving forces of societal development. Accordingly, it is in the interests of both Georgian and Abkhazian society to ensure that the younger generation has the opportunity to study in Georgia and beyond. The policy that persists in Abkhazia to this day — of erecting artificial barriers to these unique opportunities — is entirely unjustified, externally imposed, and runs directly counter to the interests of Abkhazian society. It is because of this policy that Abkhazian legislation does not recognize qualifications issued by Georgian universities, meaning that qualified young people who return to Abkhazia are unable to make a positive contribution to their society — including in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, education, ecology, and other vital areas of public life. According to general statistics, no more than 26% of young people return to Abkhazia after graduating from Georgian universities; of those who do return, only 22% find employment, while 78% remain unemployed.

Ethnic Georgians, moreover, face even greater artificial barriers compared to their Abkhazian peers: they are denied local documentation, the possession of which is a prerequisite for employment, meaning that the majority of students have already decided not to return by the time their studies begin.

Further confirmation that the educational policy in place in Abkhazia is externally imposed is provided by the fact that it is the FSB that has taken on the role of intimidating students and their parents and imposing sudden restrictions on their freedom of movement.

At a time when Abkhazian society is in need of development, suffers from a shortage of specialists in various fields, and continues to rely on an outdated Soviet-era educational system, it is very much in that society's interest to ensure its members have access to quality education, can acquire a range of professions, and — most importantly — can return home to work and apply their knowledge for the benefit of their community.

The absence in Abkhazia today of young specialists trained to international standards, with a modern education and outlook, is a challenge for Georgian society as well. Nurturing qualified professionals and enabling them to return to their homeland is a shared responsibility of Georgians and Abkhazians alike — for the outflow of young people and the depopulation of Abkhazia is in neither side's interest.

Tamar Kochoradze - Head of the Department of Analysis, Policy Planning and International Relations, Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality

Opinions expressed in the publication reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the editorial board.

The material was prepared as part of a joint project of the Accent news agency and the non-governmental organization GRASS, implemented with the financial support of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Georgia