The generally accepted definition of corruption may be formulated as the abuse of
pubic office for private gain.1
Whatever happens in Georgian public school system
today does not entirely fit this or other “corruption” definitions. In reality we deal
with some kind of shadow financing emerging as a result of conflict of interests
between formally accepted ideas of organization and financing of school education
and objective necessities of its development.
On one hand Constitution of Georgia guarantees free school education for all, while
on the other hand whatever resources undeveloped Georgian economy is able to
provide are barely enough to slow down deterioration of the system.2
Under the
circumstances the state for a while simply turned a blind eye to practice when schools
were collecting money from parents in order to survive. Since this was a quite natural
response to needs of cash starved school system, the authorities were unable to curb
the process and had to legalize it. Still it was left virtually unregulated and
uncontrolled, leaving a plenty of opportunity for corruption.