The Core of the Catalogue — Quality Education and Research
Article 43 of the Law on Higher Education forms the catalogue of student rights. Its core consists of two rights: the student has the right to receive quality education and to participate in scientific research. The academic mission of the system itself rests on these two rights, and the remaining items of the catalogue unfold from them.
The right to quality education is not a declaration: it rests on institutional obligations — quality assurance mechanisms, an assessment system and publicity — and the student's position is determined within that system.
Participation in Governance and the Right of Choice
The second block of the catalogue concerns governance and association: on the basis of universal, direct and equal elections by secret ballot, the student has the right to elect a representative and to be elected to student self-government and to the governing bodies of the institution and its basic educational units. The student may also freely found or join student organisations and freely express his own opinion, including a reasoned refusal to share the ideas offered in the course of the educational process.
The autonomy of student self-government is protected by Article 45 of the law: the administration must not interfere in its activity — a norm that is the practical guarantee of the right of governance.
Scholarships and Financial Assistance
The student has the right, in accordance with Georgian legislation and the institution's charter, to receive from the state, the institution or other sources a scholarship, financial or material assistance, and other benefits. The student also has the right to choose an educational programme, to participate in developing an individual educational programme, and to assess periodically the work of the academic personnel.
The use of facilities is also in the catalogue: on equal terms the student uses the material-technical, library, information and other means of the institution.
The Role of the Hub and Satellite Pages
This page is the hub of student rights and reflects the catalogue as a whole. Individual rights unfold on specialised pages: protection and appeal, confidentiality, access to records, and mobility — each with its own instruments. Navigation from the hub proceeds on the principle that a specific problem begins with the corresponding norm of the catalogue.
Such a structure ensures that no right is excluded from context — the catalogue is a single system, not a collection of separate provisos.
In practice the catalogue operates through three scenarios. The first — matters of educational quality: the level of teaching, assessment and resources, where recourse to the quality assurance mechanism yields a direct result. The second — governance matters: the conduct of elections, representation and participation in decisions. The third — material rights: scholarships, assistance and benefits, where the procedure of request is determined by law and the charter.
In each scenario the first step is the precise identification of the right: the corresponding sub-item of the catalogue determines which mechanism is appropriate — and precisely at this stage the strategy of the dispute is founded.
In the general picture these norms operate as a single system: every detail — deadline, form, organ and consequence — is determined by law, and their totality creates the legal environment in which the subject exercises his rights. No individual detail is therefore untouchable: a breach of one norm is reflected along the whole chain, and practical defence begins precisely with the restoration of that chain.
Experience shows that most disputes begin with neglect of details: the form of the decision was not observed, a deadline missed, documentation incomplete or the procedure conducted in private. Each such defect is a separate ground — and each can be remedied separately, if the reaction is timely.
The circle of rights is enumerated in the law itself: the student has the right to receive quality education, to take part in scientific research, to use on equal terms the material-technical, library, information and other means of the higher educational institution, to elect by secret ballot a representative and be elected to student self-government and to governing bodies, to freely found or join student organizations, to freely express opinion and reasonably refuse ideas offered in the teaching process, to transfer to another institution from the second year, to receive scholarships and benefits, to choose an educational programme, to take part in developing an individual programme, and periodically to evaluate the work of the academic staff. This circle is precisely the frame against which a dispute arises when any of these rights does not actually function.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently raised about student rights.
What is the core of the catalogue?
The right to quality education and to participate in research.
May a student participate in governance?
Yes — through elections by secret ballot, in self-government and governing bodies.
Is there a right to a scholarship?
Yes — from the state, the institution or other sources, in the manner prescribed by law.
May a programme be chosen?
Yes, including participation in an individual educational programme.
Who assesses the personnel?
The student has the right to assess periodically the work of the academic personnel.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team works within the catalogue of student rights: we determine which right has been violated and which mechanism is appropriate — internal appeal, the academic council or the courts.
Contact us on Legal.ge — a precise reading of the catalogue is the first step of defence.