October 2, the beginning of the new academic year and the failure of the government's educational policies

On October 2, the new academic year began. October 2 is the day when students are sitting in university auditoriums in our country. But the medical students totally boycotted the beginning of the academic year. Likewise, university students in Albania have silently boycotted classes. As if by coincidence, on October 2, in the Assembly, we discuss the problems of the electorate. Of course, education and higher education are a worrying problem for any of us deputies of the Assembly of Albania. First of all, I want to reiterate that the vote at the end of July of the unconstitutional law, which forced medical students to stay to work compulsorily for five years in Albania after completing their studies, should make us all ashamed. And, not only the majority MPs who voted for it, but also we opposition MPs who were not able to stop it with our arguments, but also who are not continuing it as a cause. I take the opportunity to appeal to all opposition MPs that this unconstitutional law, in complete opposition to the spirit of human rights and, especially the spirit of the rights of citizens, of students to be educated freely and unconditionally, we must forward it to the Constitutional Court. Today, the statement of a protesting student caught my attention: "We still do not have a contract and the cost has not yet been released. We do not consider it right to sign this contract. We demand that the law on the obligation of medical students for the employment contract be repealed and we will take this issue to the Constitutional Court!". As I pointed out above, we as MPs should join them, why not? even to precede them. But I am returning to a painful fact for me as a citizen of Vlonia. The University of Vlora these years is decreasing and decreasing day by day, as my conscience does not allow me to say the next word about where the University of Vlora can go in a few years, despite the work and efforts of the teaching staff and students. In this university this academic year we have branches such as chemistry, physics and Italian language, which will not be opened eventually. The mathematics department has four students. There are also few students enrolled in the branches of teaching and sociology. There is only one positive development that there are many students in Nursing and Midwifery, but most of them see education in these branches as a passport to leave abroad after completing their studies. today, with these policies that the Rama sect is following, education has been devalued, and is not being treated as a national priority. This year, 50% fewer students than in 2012 and 15% fewer students than last year were enrolled in our universities. I revisited the program that Rama trumpeted the most in 2013, in the Renaissance program, which is not just revival for education and for the entire economy. But I'm going back to education: You mentioned that you would increase education spending to 5% of GDP. Still today after 10 years in power you are at 2.2% of GDP. In Albania we must admit that education is in crisis. The government, instead of making fundamental changes to the law on education, only makes retouches, like the infamous law for medical students at the end of July, a completely regressive law. Laws, which do not touch the core of the problems and are not long-term policies, but are short-sighted policies. They do not connect the big problem with the leakage in education that we have with the major problem of depopulation of the country. Thousands of young people under the age of 18 choose to emigrate in most cases with their families, but those who do not have the financial means also choose to emigrate alone. Thousands of young people aged 18-27 do the same. Poverty, lack of hope, unemployment, inability to afford "free education" in Albania, bureaucracy, poor quality education are some of the reasons I can list... Teachers are left alone in everything, oppressed, depersonalized by being burdened with bureaucracy unnecessary, which also affects the quality of teaching. If you return VAT on education, parents will soon have to pay 20% more for their children's education. On the other hand, and I want to emphasize this, I also see the discrimination of teachers in private education in the fact that these teachers are paid as unqualified workers with minimal insurance and are paid not for 12, but for 10 months, not benefiting from the July-August period, which is school holiday period. The Rama sect has failed with educational policies. I have some figures of the state matura, I have some other figures that show what the policies of the Rama sect brought. In the 2013 State Matura, approximately 46,000 graduates took part, while in the 2023 Matura, approximately 28,000 graduates, or 18,000 graduates less. Or in the year 2022-2023 there were 58,000 fewer students in Albanian schools compared to 5 years ago! Fewer students in school banks, less quality education, mass depopulation, long-term consequences in the economy and society. These would probably be four points, in which the government, but also the entire Albanian politics, should sit down with the greatest seriousness and find a long-term, stable and viable solution.

Si ishte gjendja këtë vit mësimor që sapo u mbyll në Vlorë?

1662 më pak nxënës se vitin e kaluar arsimor! Në vitin shkollor 2022-2023 për arsimin parauniversitar në shkollat e qarkut Vlorë numri i nxënësve ishte 12.300. Sipas Zyrës Arsimore Vlorë, vitin e kaluar, shifra ishte 13.962, pra, këtë vit të ketë 1662 nxënës më pak. Në këtë vit arsimor në shkollë shifrat e nxënësve janë përsëri në rënie. Në vitin arsimor 2023-2024 në Vlorë janë regjistruar në klasën e parë të arsimit fillor 1004 nxënës. Ndërkohë që sivjet në klasën e 10-të janë regjistruar 948 nxënës. Shifrat në krahasim me vitin e kaluar tregojnë një rënie drastike të numrit të nxënësve, me pasojë edhe mbylljen e shkollave apo klasave. Vjet në Vlorë u hapën 800 klasa të para dhe 617 klasa të dhjeta. Imagjinoni që pas dy vitesh nga 617 klasa të dhjeta sa do të jenë klasat e maturës. Natyrisht e logjikisht më pak. Por situata është akoma edhe më alarmante. Shumë shkolla nëpër fshatra janë mbyllur totalisht ose gjysmëfunksionojnë. Këtë problem e kam ngritur edhe më parë në Kuvend. Në Vlorë, shkolla e Muzikës dhe shkolla “Mustafa Qemal Ataturk” po shkojnë drejt mbylljes për shkak të numrit të ulët të nxënësve të regjistruar. Prandaj urgjentisht për arsimin duhet të punojmë të gjithë. Arsimi duhet të kthehet patjetër në prioritet kombëtar. Sot, pasi nesër do të jetë vonë!