Declaration - Quality education for children’s future

Tirana, 4-th November 2014 – Through this statement Albanian Coalition for Child Education wants to make public its position toward the recent reform proposed by the Ministry of Education and Sports “Teachers for Albania. A new Chapter for the Education Reform”.

During 2013, Albanian Coalition for Child Education published the evaluation report, “On the situation of pre-university education system in Albania”. This report, except the detailed analysis conducted to the education system, puts a special emphasis to quality education, the participation in the pre-university education system and the state budget allocated to the education sector.

Due to the poor quality of education and low investments Albania, ranks among the last countries of the region in relation to students’ poor academic performance and achievements and low state budget delivered to the education sector. Albanian Coalition for Child Education, believes that the improvement of curricula, the creation of well equipped classrooms, trained and professional academic staff constitute the key points that lead toward a quality and contemporary education system

In order that “The New Chapter for the Education Reform” succeeds and to make sure that to every pupil is offered quality education and professional teachers, Albanian Coalition for Child Education recommends to the Government:

• Increase the budget for pre-university education no less than 5% of GDP, starting from 2015 in order to ensure free and quality public education;
• Disclosure of the state 2015 planned budget for the pre-university education sector;
• The establishment of “Local Education Group” aiming to the provision of professional support to the education system through effective coordination of external assistance and education experts in order to create a dialogue and contemporary education policies for children and youth across the country;
• As soon as possible the Ministry of Education should organize a national forum on reforms to be undertaken in collaboration with CSOs, teachers’ unions and the public;
• Teachers’ behaviour toward pupils should be part of their evaluation, in order to ensure that no teacher suspected or accused of sexual harassment or violence against students enjoy the right to exercise the profession in Albania.