648.6 million euros for education/ Kumbaro: From 2026, the increase in teachers' salaries will start by 36 thousand lek per year

2025-11-13 14:09:00, Politikë CNA

648.6 million euros for education/ Kumbaro: From 2026, the increase in

Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro presented today to the Committee on Economy, Employment and Finance, the draft education budget for 2026, the highest ever in nominal value, planned in the amount of 64 billion and 865 million lek with an addition of 2 billion and 846 million lek from the initial budget for 2025.
Kumbaro said that the draft budget for 2026 consolidates the increase in salaries, the reduction of inequalities, the improvement of infrastructure and educational quality, and strengthens the role of higher education and scientific research in the national development of the country.

“ The 2026 draft budget for the Ministry of Education is planned at 64 billion and 865 million lek or 648.6 million Euros, with an addition of 2 billion and 845 million lek (28.4 million Euros) to the initial budget for 2025 or an increase of 4.6% more than the initial budget for 2025.
This is the highest historical nominal budget for education. But it is important to say that the Education Sector is also supported by other actors, significantly increasing real financing.
In total, these funds injected together with the budget of the Ministry of Education for 2026 reach a value of about 90 billion lek or over 900 million Euros, increasing the sector's share to: 10.1% of public spending.
The Education Budget is also supported by capital investments in the 54.5 million Euro fund, where support for investments will continue in the infrastructure of basic education, upper secondary education and public higher education, as well as support for scientific research infrastructure", emphasized Minister Kumbaro.

The Ministry of Education's budget for 2026 is divided into 5 budget programs, where in Pre-University Education 425 million euros will be financed for salaries, 37.3 million euros for current expenses such as transportation, scholarships and food quotas, free textbooks, program design and curriculum review, teacher training, after-school programs, support for diaspora textbooks and resource centers and schools with special status, etc.
From 2026, a new salary increase for teachers of 36,000 lek per year begins.

Kumbaro stated that higher education and scientific research for 2026 will be financed in a total amount of 146 million euros.

" For 2026, the higher education program and the science program are financed in a total amount of 146 million euros, which together with the revenues of the public universities themselves reach a value of 185 million euros that will be allocated for "teaching grants" and financial support for students and funds for scientific research and the internationalization of higher education. For 2026, 18.3 million euros are foreseen in the investment fund for improving the infrastructure of public HEIs and scientific research," said Minister Kumbaro.
From this foreseen fund, priority will be given to financing the projects for the reconstruction of the building of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, the reconstruction of the building of the Faculty of Geology and Mining and the construction of the Geology Museum, the financing of the project "Construction of the building of the Faculty of Professional Studies" Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës, the construction of the football field and the athletics track of the University of Sports, the construction of the building of the Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences of the "Aleksandër Xhuvani" University of Elbasan, as well as the investment of 40 scientific research infrastructure projects in public HEIs worth 3.5 million euros.
At the end of her speech, Minister Kumbaro stated that this budget is not just a financial program, but is a plan for the future that clearly reflects the priority for education as the foundation of the country's economic, social and cultural development, the minister said./ CNA