In a decade, 22% of 9-year public schools have been closed in the country

2024-08-30 07:17:00, Aktualitet CNA

In a decade, 22% of 9-year public schools have been closed in the country

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The rapid decline in the number of students has influenced the closure of a quarter of 9-year-old schools in the country, according to the official data of the Ministry of Education.

From the 2012-2013 school year to the 2021-2022 school year, 295 9-year education schools were closed across the country, bringing their total number to 1051 from 1346 in 2013.

The closure of schools has come in direct proportion to the drop in students, since from 2011 to 2023, INSTAT refers that the number of students in 9-year education has decreased by about 30%.

Rural areas take the lead in closing schools, as the number of children has decreased significantly. However, the closure of schools in the rural areas of the country has caused the further emigration of the few families with small children.

Since 2000, 42% of 8-9 year old schools in the country have been closed. Full-time first through ninth grade basic education is compulsory for all children who are between the ages of 6 and 16, except as otherwise provided by law.

Basic Education includes: Primary Education (grades 1-5) and Lower Secondary Education (grades 6-9). Primary education consists of five classes, from class I to class V. While lower secondary education consists of four classes, from class VI to class IX. The age of the students is 12-15 years.

Albania financed more than 4-5% of its GDP before the 1990s for the education sector, this level was comparable to the financing that other OECD countries provided at that time.

But during the years of transition, the sector was financed at less than 3% of GDP, a level almost 40% lower than the financing that developed countries provided in this period and 20% less than the financing provided by the countries of the region.

Albania entered the transition period with 2,200 schools of 8-year and secondary education and is now facing a strong contraction that is not affecting the increase in the quality of the remaining students. Our country recorded the largest global drop in the results of the PISA 2022 Global Test.

Teachers claim that the reforms in education in recent years have increased the regulatory burden and the workload of teachers that is not directly related to teaching.

Curriculum change, wrong use of technology, lack of motivation for teachers, decline in the professional level of teachers, fictitious grades are some of the causes of poor results.

While the level of new teachers is weaker. The low funding for education and especially the low salaries of teachers are leading more and more students, weak students, to the branches of teaching, putting into question the quality of education in the future./Monitor