Education Minister Spotlights AI and Core Skills at e-Twinning Conference
Georgia's Minister of Education, Science, and Youth, Givi Mikanadze, closed the "e-Twinning" National Conference on "Basic and Vital Skills in Education" with a clear message: put literacy, mathematics, science, and artificial intelligence at the center of the curriculum.
His point was straightforward-strong competencies in these areas build analytical thinking, support active citizenship, and help students adapt to a fast-changing job market and modern challenges.
Key messages from Minister Givi Mikanadze
- Core skills come first: literacy, math, science, digital skills, and AI need structured time and measurable outcomes in every grade band.
- Teachers lead the change: reforms succeed when teachers have the right training, materials, and classroom support.
- System-wide priority: general, early, preschool, and vocational education should all reinforce basic skills as a national investment in social and economic well-being.
- AI belongs in the classroom: from problem-solving to projects, AI should support learning-ethically and transparently.
Conference highlights
150 active teachers from the program took part and received national and European marks for projects carried out within the e-Twinning framework. Before the official opening, an exhibition featured student work and STEAM projects, presenting creative, classroom-built prototypes and solutions.
The event drew on the "Basic Skills Action Plan," approved in March 2025 under the European Commission's Skills Strategy. The plan focuses on improving teaching and learning in five competencies: literacy, math, science, digital skills, and citizenship. Learn more about the broader policy context via the European Commission's Skills Strategy and the eTwinning initiative.
The conference was also attended by Tamar Makharashvili, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, and Youth of Georgia, and Ekaterine Khutsishvili, Director of the National Center for Teachers' Professional Development.
What schools can do next
- Map where each core skill lives in your curriculum. Fill gaps with short, high-impact modules rather than adding new standalone subjects.
- Set up a practical AI literacy pathway for students: basics of prompts, verification, academic integrity, and privacy.
- Give teachers time and tools: micro-PD on AI in assessment, feedback, and planning; shared lesson banks; classroom-safe AI tools.
- Use cross-curricular STEAM projects to apply math, science, and digital skills to real problems with clear rubrics.
- Join or scale an eTwinning project to exchange practices, co-create materials, and benchmark student work.
- Measure what matters: track progress on the five competencies with brief, frequent checks that inform teaching.
Quick resource for educator upskilling
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