For the past two years, Georgia has been at the epicenter of international attention. EU candidate status, the \u201cRussian law,<\/a>\u201d and disputed elections brought the previously little-known country, often confused with the U.S. state, into the global arena, even appearing in headlines of outlets such as BBC News.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Despite massive protests across multiple cities, including Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi, the ruling party, Georgian Dream,<\/a> continues to introduce laws that isolate youth from Europe and weaken access to education.<\/span><\/p>\n Opposition parties, civil groups, and part of the protest movement have described the current authorities as lacking full democratic legitimacy following disputed elections, although the government remains internationally recognized and continues cooperation with the European Union<\/span><\/span> and other international partners.<\/p>\n Over the last year, the pro-Russian party<\/a> has launched a wide-ranging reform of general and higher education. Developed in late 2025 and advanced through parliament in early 2026, these reforms may leave roughly 25,000 pupils without access to higher education and place additional financial pressure on families that are already struggling.<\/span><\/p>\n The first and most politically controversial change was the cancellation of the 12th grade, meaning compulsory education would end after grade 11 and eventually be followed by the cancellation of unified national exams.<\/span><\/p>\nCancellation of the 12th Grade<\/b><\/h3>\n