The national reconstruction program following the devastating November 26, 2019, earthquake includes the reconstruction operation of all quake-damaged education institutions whose demolition kicked off today. A total of 103 school buildings will be built from scratch up the highest European standards and construction is set to complete ahead of the next academic year.
In his remarks during a conversation with the State Minister for the Reconstruction, Arben Ahmetaj, and the Minister of Culture, Elva Margariti, Prime Minister Edi Rama noted that the procedure to start construction of all quake-damaged schools is in the process and opening the construction sites in several areas started earlier on the day. According to the Premier, the new schools will set a new standard in the country’s education system.
“The new schools will be built according to Eurocode 8 earthquake-proof building standards. In the meantime, the new schools will provide more educational spaces. The class size will be 24 students, or pupils per class, which really a fantastic thing. Likewise, the new kindergartens will include more classroom spaces and smaller class size with a lower number of children in a classroom. All new schools will house chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics labs. They will all include libraries, multifunctional spaces, physical education halls, a 400-square meter gym, auxiliary venues, showers, toilets, teachers room, counselling room, school infirmary, services bloc, whereas the outdoor spaces will include running tracks, multifunctional courts, including volleyball, basketball, tennis courts, sports corner, mini-football. The upper courtyard with an area of 1800-square meters will hose daily activities, and the lower courtyard is 6244 square meters, featuring all sports spaces as well as an agricultural garden and a green house,” Rama said.
State Minister for the Reconstruction Arben Ahmetaj reported that the European Parliament has endorsed a fund of 100-million euros, part of the Donors’ Conference pledges on February 17 in Brussels. We will soon start detailing the 100-million euro fund to be invested in two main areas, namely the education infrastructure and the cultural heritage, including the Amphitheatre of Durres, where a model project will be implemented,” Ahmetaj said.
Prime Minister Rama noted that the new projects should consider the current situation caused by the Covid-19, with the school children and students being forced to attend online classes since schools across the country have been closed.
“An element I would like to add is the one brought about by the most recent situation. It is a situation that is not going to end soon, but the entire reopening process will be at the same time a process of adapting the social distancing and a completely method of work. Therefore we should definitely introduce the element of the digital capacity to combine the classroom and online teaching so that once this deadly epidemic is over with the development of a vaccine we will introduce weekly shifts, with a part of children going to school and others attending the lessons online from home, which means we should equip our schools and students with direct teaching capacities. This component should be taken into consideration,” the Premier noted.
The Head of the Albanian Development who attended this online meeting expressed confidence that students will be able to attend their lessons in new school buildings by the second semester of the next academic year.
