The Scope of the Law — What Education Law Covers
Public-school education law in Georgia is determined by the Law on General Education. Under Article 1 of the law, the legislation of Georgia in the sphere of general education consists of the Constitution, the constitutional agreement, international treaties and agreements, this law, other laws and sub-legislative acts. The law itself regulates the conditions for carrying out general educational activity, the principles of governance and funding, the status of every general educational institution irrespective of its organisational-legal form, and the rules of their foundation, activity, reorganisation, liquidation and authorisation.
This framework is precisely the space in which any legal question connected with the school is resolved — from pupils' rights to the institution's status.
The Core of Rights — Equal and Compulsory Education
Article 9 of the law forms the legal core of the system: everyone has the equal right to receive full general education, so as to fully develop his personality and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for equal opportunities for success. Primary and basic education are compulsory, and a pupil may not be left outside the system before completing the basic level.
The state is obliged to create a general education system and appropriate socio-economic conditions; the freedom of parental choice does not include the right to evade compulsory education.
The Institutional Regime — Authorisation
The institutional side is determined by Article 32 of the law: as a result of authorisation, a legal entity acquires the status of a general educational institution and the right to issue a state-recognised document. The term of authorisation is 9 years, and among the independent authorisation programmes the primary, basic and secondary level programmes are listed separately.
An institution is entitled to carry out only the programme indicated in the authorisation application — status is thus defined by the programme, not the other way round.
The Role of the Hub and Satellite Pages
This page is the hub of public-school education law, and its three footholds — scope, right, authorisation — reflect the three core questions of the system. Specific areas unfold on separate pages: compliance with standards at the level of the national curriculum, the procedures of opening and authorising a school, the legal status of pupil and teacher, disciplinary and appeal mechanisms, and the regulation of digital learning.
Navigation from the hub rests on the principle that every specific question is resolved within the common framework of the Law on General Education.
Another axis of education law is funding: the law regulates the principles of governance and funding of general education, and the state is obliged to create the system and appropriate socio-economic conditions. The pupil's right to education is thus secured not only by declaration but by a state function — and the governance of the system proceeds within a centralised frame.
From the position of parent and pupil this frame works in both directions: on the one hand it protects the guarantees of equal accessibility and compulsory education; on the other it determines what an institution may and may not do. Knowledge of precisely this second boundary determines when a parent begins legal action.
To complete the general picture: education law is not exhausted by a single statute — the Constitution, international treaties and sub-legislative acts together create the space in which specific decisions are taken; each question is therefore resolved beginning with a full view of the frame.
Practical questions connected with the school — enrolment, transfer, assessment, discipline — are each a separately regulated field, but all are resolved within this common frame; the hub page therefore leads to the instruments matching the specific problem.
The frame of the law is described in its own norms: it regulates the conditions of general-educational activity, the principles and rules of the management and funding of general education, and determines the status of every general-educational institution — regardless of organizational-legal form — together with the rules of its foundation, activity, reorganization, liquidation and authorization. The foundation is a right: everyone has an equal right to receive full general education, primary and basic education are compulsory, and the state creates the system and appropriate socio-economic conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently raised about education law.
Which law governs the public school?
The Law on General Education — within the framework of the Constitution and international treaties.
What is compulsory education?
Primary and basic education; a pupil may not be left outside the system before completing the basic level.
What is authorisation?
The procedure by which a legal entity acquires the status of a general educational institution; the term is 9 years.
Can a school be chosen?
Yes — the freedom of parental choice is protected, but it does not include evading compulsory education.
What does the law cover?
The conditions of activity, governance and funding, the status of institutions and the rules of authorisation.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team works on every side of public-school education law: from protecting the rights of pupils and parents to the authorisation of institutions. We determine which norm covers your situation and which pages' instruments are relevant.
Contact us on Legal.ge — a correctly chosen framework takes you half the way.