The National Professional Development Program for Teachers was launched today, marking a significant moment for the country’s education system as it opens a new chapter in the government’s efforts to ensure continued professional growth of teachers.

The program is designed to be a mosaic of modern teaching methods aimed at further strengthening the teachers’ community in a bid to enhance teaching experience through deployment of best teaching strategies to support their pupils or students through the learning process and help them develop skills to cope with the academic and professional challenges.

Addressing an expanded meeting with teachers from various schools all over the country, as well heads of educational institutions, the Minister of Education and Sports Ogerta Manastirliu said that with the program launched, as many as 4000 primary school teachers from all over the country and teachers who teach basic subjects including mathematics, language and information technology will attend training teacher programs this year. She added that 16 000 more teachers will also attend training programs on effective teaching methods within 2025.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that “utmost efforts will be made to boost the extensive support for teachers and the education system as a whole.”

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Hello everyone! This is a very crucial moment as it determines the beginning of a new stage in reforming the education system as it turns the spotlight on the teacher as the irreplaceable power of the whole system and as an authority that that should be supported more, should be motivated more and should be affirmed more in our community.

The reason why we see opening this new stage as an imperative is primarily because, as you all are more aware than anybody else, since you experience firsthand the challenge of teaching pupils, who are increasingly challenging each year because of the environment they live in and the technology “storm” that has swept young and old, due to the fact that the challenge of the speed of time is becoming such that it is taking really both frightening and inspiring proportions.

The need to adapt to the times and evolve, not long ago, but just 10 years ago when we embarked on this common work, was much easier and more affordable than today. The need to evolve and adapt now is almost beyond endurance, because the incredible information flow and the incredible expansion of the information channels with the technology assuming an increasingly extraordinary role are such that truly question many of the things and aspects that we have taken for granted and, on the other hand, make us all face the big challenge of preserving some foundations and balances, currently being threatened more than ever before.

In a nutshell, I would like to affirm that we will do whatever we can and we will even make utmost efforts to boost the extensive support for teachers and the education system as a whole.

Albania has now reached a whole new level.

Albania has a new door to the future opened in economic terms and this fact is reflected in the significant pay rise, and the wage hike policy will continue. In the meantime, we can now afford, more than ever before, to make our potential, the country’s potential available to the economy and the Albanian households. Unleashing this potential would require more human resources and human capital, more qualified people, stronger working force at all levels and this moment is certainly not one that offers solutions only.

This is a moment that requires many solutions in all aspects, not only in education, but in all sectors. However, focusing on education is truly vital, because, fortunately, we no longer live in a time when just a few years ago teachers were totally abandoned and totally vulnerable. We no longer live in a time when the position of each and every one of you here was determined by the governing political party, it was determined based on the political affiliations, by the bribery and so on and so forth. Today we live in a time when every teacher has his or her job position ensured based on their merit, professional skills and performance and nobody can remove them for a reason that is not closely connected to the profession. However, this is just an initial foundation. This is not enough!

Increasing wages for teachers is also not enough. The teachers’ salaries will soon, within a few months, average out to 950 euros, but it is not enough. Therefore we need to reform the system. For example, the mechanism of that salary increase every five years as a result of seniority, needs to be reformed.

On the other hand, we must make it possible and find a way that, in addition to the uniform salary, i.e. the basic guarantee for everyone, there are different salary levels according to merit, according to contribution and according to qualifications. However, a reliable qualification system is needed to deliver on that. A reliable system of training programs is needed and a reliable credit system is needed and the Education Minister already mentioned the digital portfolio that is gradually taking shape, but there are still a number of more elements that should be put in place.

Thank you!