The State Programme of the Georgian Language

Constitutional Status of the Georgian Language

1. To guarantee the Constitutional status of the Georgian language, as of the State language, in all Party, Soviet, administrative, scientific-educational, cultural, economic enterprises, and societal organizations of the Georgian SSR.

2. To set up a commission that shall be entrusted with a task of exercising control over proper application and functioning of the Georgian language, as of the State language, and shall be attached to the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR.

3. To set up a permanent State Commission on Georgian Literary Language that shall be entrusted with a task of exercising control over proper functioning of the Georgian literary language and protect its purity and shall be attached to the Council of Ministers of the Georgian SSR. The Commission shall work out effective measures aimed at introducing of norms of the Georgian literary language.

4. To set up a supervisory and consultative commissions on proper application and protection of purity of the Georgian language in all cities, towns and regional centers. The Commission shall be attached to local executive committees of the Peoples’ Deputies.

5. To secure and organize the creation and publication of all types of scientific and educational literature (including dissertation papers) in Georgian language.

6. To create favorable conditions in all enterprises and establishments (financial and educational-methodological provision) for learning Georgian language by those citizens residing in Georgia that have no command of Georgian. Georgian.

( …)

III. Teaching of the Georgian Language and Literature in Pre-School Establishments, Secondary Schools and Institutions of High Education.

1. To work out special programme of oral Georgian for all age groups of pre-school establishments and publish adequate literature and demonstrative materials in Georgian language.

2. To create revised Georgian language educational programme, curriculum and textbooks for those Pedagogical institutions and special colleges providing training for future teachers of pre-school establishments.

5. To work out a unified plan of step-by-step teaching of the Georgian language in the 1-11th grades of the secondary schools (writing skills and speaking, phonetics, basics of the Georgian grammar, basics of stylistics and vocabulary of Georgian language, and main principles of linguistic theory).

7. To set up special studies of Georgian language and literature in all secondary schools, vocational and secondary-special educational establishments of the Republic and supply these studies with the most recent scientific and pedagogical literature and textbooks.

8. To set up faculties of Georgian language and literature in all high education establishments of Georgia and introduce survey course of the spoken Georgian language and history of the literary Georgian language for all students.

9. To introduce mandatory written and oral exams in Georgian language for those high-school entrants seeking studentship in humanitarian faculties of high education institutions of the Republic. To introduce mandatory written exam in Georgian language and literature for those high-school entrants seeking studentship in the Art Academy, theatrical institutions and conservatoire, as well as for those who seek studentship of scientific and technical faculties.

13. To work out concrete proposals on introduction of mandatory classes of Georgian language in non-Georgian schools of the Republic.

14. To introduce the courses of practical stylistics and history of literature of the Georgian language into the non-Georgian sectors of philology faculties of the high education establishments of the Georgian SSR.

23. To set up special training courses of Georgian language for those who are interested in learning the Georgian language. Those courses shall be attached to different cultural-educational establishments (clubs, libraries) and shall be provided with teachers of high qualification.

IV. Radio, Television and Cinematography

4. In order to secure replication in Georgian language of non-Georgian language programmes (analytical programmes, talk shows, feature movies) it is vital to further strengthen material-technical base of the Georgian TV and Radio.

5. To create educational films in Georgian language for the high education establishments and secondary schools of the Republic and secure replication in Georgian language of the Russian-language films.

6. To further strengthen material-technical base of the cinema studio “Georgian Film” in order to secure creation of Georgian subtitles to Russian and foreign language films.

VIII. Printing materials

4. To print and publish dictionaries and phrase books (Russian-Georgian and Georgian-Russian, Abkhaz-Georgian and Georgian-Abkhaz, Ossetian-Georgian and Georgian-Ossetian, … Armenian-Georgian and Georgian-Armenian, Azerbaijani-Georgian and Georgian-Azerbaijani).

20. To print for those willing to learn Georgian manuals for self-tuition.

X. Daily life and Information sphere

1. To secure wide and maximum application of the Georgian language in a daily life and mass media.

2. To issue in Georgian language for wide-spread application all forms, slips, work sheets, receipts, subscription forms, stubs, tickets, advertisement boards, labels, price-tags, placards, posters, mottoes, envelops, dispatch forms, invitation and congratulation post-cards, calendars, identification card; note-books, booklets; advertisement and memorable leaflets; invitation cards.

3. To guarantee that all products produced in Georgia have Georgian- language application instructions.

4. To exercise control on labeling all products produced in Georgia.

(…)

(Newspaper “Comunisti”, # 196, 25 August 1989)