A new anti-corruption law in Georgia, which took effect on November 1, prohibits public sector employees from holding multiple paid positions simultaneously.
The ban includes teaching and academic jobs, meaning thousands of educators who previously worked in multiple schools will now have to choose just one, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.
The Ministry of Education confirmed the change in an announcement dated October 31, saying the new regulation extends to all paid teaching, scientific, and creative work within the public sector.
Teachers may only work in two schools if both principals agree to it, but that permission is temporary, valid for one year and issued only once. After that, dual employment will no longer be allowed.
According to the ministry, the rule stems from the new “Law on Combating Corruption,” which aims to eliminate conflicts of interest in state institutions. It applies broadly to all public servants and employees of state agencies, public institutions, and state-owned companies. Those wishing to take an additional job in the private sector must also secure written approval from their direct supervisor, which likewise expires after one year.
The ministry said decisions on such requests must be made within ten days and that appeals do not suspend enforcement of the law.
However, education experts warn that the measure could have severe consequences for Georgia’s already strained school system. Education specialist Manana Nikolashvili told Resonance that the government itself had encouraged teachers to work in multiple schools after a mass dismissal in 2020, when roughly 14,000 teachers were let go during the premiership of Giorgi Gakharia.
“Georgia has not trained new teachers for more than 20 years,” she said. “Universities no longer produce enough qualified educators, except for a small number of primary teachers. Even a country like the United States or the United Kingdom would struggle to replace 14,000 specialists overnight.”
Nikolashvili said the dual-employment rule had helped schools survive the staffing crisis. Many teachers work in two schools because they teach low-hour subjects such as physics, chemistry, geography, or information technology. “If they can only work in one school, they will be left with only a few hours of pay each week, less than the minimum needed to live on,” she said.
She added that most teachers’ spouses are unemployed, making many educators the sole breadwinners for their families. “A very high percentage of teachers work in two schools. This ban will push many into poverty.”
The expert also questioned whether the law legally applies to teachers, noting that the anti-corruption provisions were meant for public officials, not educators. “A teacher, school director, or university professor is not a public servant,” she said. “Public servants are employees of the Ministry of Education and its agencies. This law was never intended for teachers, and applying it to them is a mistake.”
Nikolashvili called the timing “disastrous,” since the school year began only six weeks ago and schedules are already set. “How can this be implemented now? It shows there are no education specialists in the ministry or even among the prime minister’s advisers,” she said. “It’s absurd to make such a disruptive change in the middle of the academic year.”
Critics fear the rule will hit rural schools hardest, where shortages of subject teachers are most severe. Small village schools often rely on part-time instructors who commute between multiple institutions. Without them, many classes could go untaught.
The ministry has not said whether it plans to hire new teachers to fill the gaps. But Nikolashvili suggested the government may be trying to create new positions for people awaiting employment. “If the state is doing this, it must have people ready to take these jobs. Whether they can actually fill them is another question,” she said.
The law’s supporters argue that the reform will prevent misuse of public resources and improve efficiency in state institutions. But educators warn it risks deepening the teacher shortage and driving more professionals out of the field altogether.
