Zhupa lists the problems of education/ "Young people are studying abroad, the quotas are not realized"

2024-10-07 12:27:00, Politikë CNA

Zhupa lists the problems of education/ "Young people are studying abroad,

The Chairperson of the Education Commission, Ina Zhupa

The Chairperson of the Education Commission, Ina Zhupa, reacted at the start of the new academic year, congratulating the students, while highlighting the problems that accompany universities.

She says that only 60% of the quotas have been realized in universities, as she raises the concern that the youth is running away and does not choose to be educated in Albania. In the University of Tirana, in the teaching programs, only 30% of the quotas have been fulfilled, while in the districts the situation is even more critical, where there are branches with only 1 student.

Zhupa underlines that the government has not made support policies for students, even though they have high costs, teaching in the most inappropriate conditions, with the lack of laboratories and the lack of quality textbooks.

The Albanian government has spent 3.6 euros per capita on scientific research in 2022. It is the last in Europe, Zhupa notes. The latter underlines that the only plan the government has is monopolization of universities and control according to political appetites.

Full reaction:

Congratulating the teachers, students and staff for a good academic year as the chairperson of the Education Committee, but also as a lecturer, I cannot help expressing my indignation at the government's ominous plans for science, the university, lecturers and students.

The new bill for science is the "Achilles heel" at the start of the new academic year. Higher Education Institutions today, de facto, constitute over 90% of the science system and perhaps over 90% of all human resources working in the field of research, technological development and innovation. Thus, this law that tries to bypass the system of higher education (HE), especially institutions with the status of "University", or reduce their weight in the system of science, is wrong and has consequences for the country.

Minister Manastirliu clearly has no idea about education, but I will not learn that there are other problems with the political direction of Tirana and the SPAK files.

Only 60% of the quotas have been realized in universities, the youth is leaving and does not choose to be educated in Albania. In the University of Tirana, in the teaching programs, only 30% of the quotas have been fulfilled, while in the districts the situation is even more critical, where there are branches with only 1 student.

This government has never made any support policy for students. They continued with a binding and non-incentive contract, until they turned medicine into a branch with declining enrollments. Meanwhile, our students together with their families bear the highest fees in the region. They face teaching in the most inappropriate conditions, with a lack of laboratories and with a lack of quality textbooks.

The Albanian government has spent 3.6 euros per capita on scientific research in 2022. It is the last in Europe. The only plan he has is to monopolize and control even these crumbs according to political appetites. Teachers continue to be underpaid, far from being treated with dignity in the salary hierarchy.

As a lecturer but also as the chairperson of the education commission, you will not be in line to demand accountability, to demand higher budgets for education, support for students, funds for scientific research for higher education institutions and quality education that meets the needs of the time. / CNA