In 2022, children in the village of Norio were unable to start the new school year because renovation work on their school — begun two years earlier — was still unfinished. As a result, more than 500 students were distributed among schools in neighboring villages. Locals said that Alliance Ltd., the company responsible for the renovation, had repeatedly violated tender conditions. The state terminated its contract with the non-compliant contractor and announced a new tender.

On August 30, 2022, relatives of students held a protest in Norio, demanding that the renovation be completed on time. Construction workers joined the demonstration, saying they had not been paid since April.

On September 15, when schools elsewhere resumed classes, the number of protesters increased. Demonstrators first gathered at the school, then blocked the Tbilisi bypass road to attract wider attention. Students carried banners reading, “Give Us Back Our School.”

“One result of this renovation delay is that the number of students has nearly halved — Norio is close to Tbilisi, and many parents have moved their children to schools there or in nearby villages. The quality of education has dropped sharply. Studying in second shifts for so long is exhausting — they can’t attend extracurricular lessons or clubs. Our children are falling behind; they’ve been deprived of everything,” said Norio resident Nino Jogia, whose three children attended the school.

David Tabidze, executive director of the Municipal Development Fund under the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, stated that students would be able to resume classes at Norio School in the second semester of 2023.