EDUCATION OVERVIEW
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-
-
- General
Outline: Education in Albania
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Elementary
Education
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8 years
|
|
Secondary
Education
|
3 - 5 years
|
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Vocational/Technical
(Secondary)
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3 - 5 years
(depend on field of study)
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Post-Secondary Education
|
|
|
Undergraduate
(Diplomė/bach)
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4 - 5 years
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Graduate
(Specialization Cert/mast)
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1 - 3 years
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Postgraduate
(Doktor/doctorate)
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3 years
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- Administration
and Finance:
- Education in Albania comes from a very centralized and highly controlled tradition. Prior to 1991, the administration of education at all levels was prescribed nationally in conjunction with economic planning. Although education remains largely centralized, strides are being taken to liberalize the system. At present, the staffing, management, financing, building and upkeep of schools remain to a large extent the domain of central authorities or their district-level branches. The Government and Parliament determine all educational policy and the Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the administration of the education system at the national level. The Ministry also works with provincial and municipal authorities to ensure that the requirements within the education field are met. Albania has a national and centrally developed curriculum and programs for basic education, which is designed by the Ministry of Education. Local governments have recently been granted more rights in school governance issues.
School directors are responsible for the supervision of teaching staff, facilities and personnel. At the higher education level, the Council of Ministers, made up of the heads of other government ministries, has the authority to open and close institutions. In addition, the Council of Ministers determines the fields of study and specialties offered at higher educational institutions. The Ministry of Education and Science oversees academic departments and faculties and is responsible for the fiscal administration of all institutions.
In the year 2002, 12% of the state budget was allocated to education.
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- Size:
- There are 4,700 public educational institutions at all levels, of which 2670 are at a pre-elementary level and 1,782 are at an elementary level. There are approximately 560,000 students at the elementary level, 90,000 at the secondary level and 35,000 at the tertiary level.
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- Structure:
- Pre-elementary education is offered for children aged three to six, although it is not compulsory.
Formal education begins with an eight-year cycle of elementary education, which children enter when they reach age 6. Elementary education is divided into two levels: Grades 1 - 4 and Grades 5 - 8. Secondary education is offered in four-year general secondary schools and in three- or five-year vocational schools.
Higher education is offered at ten tertiary level institutions of which eight are universities. Degree programs range in length from three to six years in duration, at the first-degree level, with two- to three-year postgraduate programs and two- to three-year doctoral programs beyond the postgraduate level.
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- Private
and Public Education:
- Private education has recently been introduced. At the pre-elementary level, elementary and vocational secondary levels, there are several private institutions, which are self-financing establishments. Private schools use official curricula, educational plans and textbooks as prescribed by the State.
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- Academic
Year:
- At all levels of education, the academic year is divided into two semesters. At the elementary and secondary levels, the school year runs from September through mid-June, with a break from mid-December to early January. The school year at the elementary level comprises 33 five-day teaching weeks (165 working days) for pupils attending Grades 1-8. At the secondary level, the school year comprises 35 teaching weeks (175 working days) in the first three forms of general school, in the first four forms of the five-form vocational school and in all forms of the three-form vocational school. In fourth and fifth forms of the five-form vocational schools, the academic year comprises 34 weeks (170 working days). Since the 1997/1998 school year, all pre-university schools operate five days a week, Monday through Friday.
At the higher education level, the school year runs from October to May and is divided into two semesters, each of fifteen weeks in duration. There is a winter break in late December and early January.
Language of Instruction:
Albanian
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- Teacher
Education:
- Teachers for the ēerdhe dhe kopesht fėmijėsh
(crčches) and kopesht fėmijėsh (kindergarten) are trained in 6 semesters at the
Shkollė e Mesme Pedagogjike (pedagogical middle school). Upon completion of the program, the
Edukatore per Ēerdhe dhe Kopesht Femijesh Diploma is awarded, along with the title of educator/edukatore.
As part of the educational reforms that have come into place during the 1997/1998 school year, the education of class teachers (Grades 1 - 4) has undergone deep structural change. Teachers of the first four years (lower cycle) of elementary school are now trained in three-year (six semester) programs at higher education institutions, in specialized faculties of several universities. They obtain a
Mesues te Ciklit Parashkollor Diploma. Teachers of the upper cycle of elementary schools are trained in four-year programs at higher education institutions. The upper cycle teacher-training program includes practice teaching as part of an eight-semester program, which results in the attainment of a
Mesues per Ciklin e Ulet Diploma.
Secondary school teachers are trained in an academic subject with education courses and practice teaching in four-year (eight semesters) higher education programs. Upon graduation, a
Mesues per Shkollat e Mesme Diploma is obtained.
Certification of higher education instructors depends on their first and second degrees, post-university studies and the defence of a dissertation. The rank of professor requires the degree of Doctor of Sciences and a background of extensive research, teaching and publishing. A Docent is an experienced researcher and instructor holding the Candidate of Sciences degree. There are also two types of teaching positions at higher education institutions that do not require a scientific degree: pedagog and assistant, who must hold a Diploma with excellent grades.
Revised: May 06, 2004
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Copyright © 2003 World Education Services.
All rights reserved.
