The Byron School of Tbilisi was founded in 1996 as a private establishment on the basis of the Georgian Byron Society in collaboration with the International Byron Association. The School employs Georgian and British teachers. Among the members of the teaching staff are Tbilisi State University professors, diplomats and other academics. The programme is headed by the principal and the owner of the Byron School, Professor Innes Merabishvili, President of the Byron Society of Georgia. A Byron scholarship is offered annually to the most outstanding students. The School is regularly involved in the leading cultural activities of the city, especially that of the Georgian Byron Society, by attending meetings, conferences and lectures, delivered by Georgian or visiting scholars. At the end of each academic year the school arranges summer studies in Britain. The trip includes a course of studies at the Lingualink College in Nottingham or other cities and visiting numerous places of interest. By being in Britain in summer, the School is able to attend the annual International Byron Festivals that are held under the auspices of the International Byron Association in Newstead Abbey, Lord Byron’s ancestral home, and at Hucknall, the poet’s burial place. The School much appreciates the constant help and encouragement; it receives from the British Byron Society, the International Byron Association and the British and American Embassies in Georgia. Lord Byron’s life and works, his love of freedom and justice are fine qualities to inspire the young generation.
