PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE DIGITAL AGE

This article examines the transformation of public school governance under the conditions of the digital age and shows that technological change is no longer merely an instrumental issue for schools. The digital environment changes the logic of school governance, the pace of decision-making, the forms of accountability, the channels of communication, the practices of using data, and the professional role of school leadership. The aim of the paper is to identify the characteristics that distinguish public school governance in the digital age, to determine what opportunities it creates in terms of teaching and learning quality, administrative efficiency, and transparency, and to reveal what risks it generates in relation to inequality, excessive bureaucratisation, data security, and the weakening of the human factor. The article is based on an analytical-review study; comparative analysis, document analysis, and synthesis were used. The study analyses Georgian educational policy documents, as well as contemporary works by UNESCO, the OECD, and the World Bank on digital transformation, educational leadership, and school governance. The study argues that effective digital governance is not equivalent to mere computerisation. Its essence lies in turning the school into a data-driven, flexible, ethically responsible, and collaborative institution in which technology serves pedagogical goals rather than the other way around. It was determined that five components are critically important for a public school: leadership with a digital vision; reliable infrastructure; clear rules for data governance; continuous professional development for teachers and administrators; and an inclusive policy that reduces digital inequality. In the Georgian context, special importance is attached to systemic consistency, because partial implementation of digital tools in school governance cannot produce sustainable results unless it is accompanied by the renewal of organisational culture, responsibilities, assessment, and support mechanisms. The concluding section of the article presents recommendations for strengthening the model of digital school governance. It is shown that a successful digital school is not the most technologised one, but the one that uses technology for human-centred, fair, and results-oriented governance.