In a meeting with teachers and school leaders, organized by the Ministry of Education, today were presented the results of the International Survey of Teaching and Learning TALIS, which brings into focus international evidence for the perceptions, experiences and needs of teachers, and where for the first time Albania became part among 55 education systems of OECD, achieving in some of the indicator parameters very positive results, often even above the average of OECD countries.

Prime Minister Rama described the result as excellent news for parents and a source of pride for Albanian teachers.

“Since in all levels of the survey, the main results for Albania reflect motivation of teachers, reflect desire for the profession, reflect trust in the development of students’ ability, and certainly reflect in the level of initial formation, in the continuous professional development — surely we have no reason why to feel in difficulty to be proud, on the contrary we feel proud for you, we feel proud for all the teachers of Albania,” he said.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Greetings to everyone!

I came here today with a special pleasure because it is very good news for parents in the first place that a prestigious international survey for teaching and learning, among 55 education systems in the European Union, in Europe beyond the European Union, including also countries outside the European Union, our teachers did well. They did well and certainly this is in the first place their merit, your merit, but on the other hand, it is as to say also a mirror of the effort that we have done together, and I believe also of the support that we have tried to give to teachers continuously in all directions.

This survey is very challenging, which reflects the motivation of teachers, the desire for the profession, reflects trust in the development of students’ ability, and certainly reflects also concretely all these in the level of initial formation, in the continuous professional development. Surely we have no reason to feel in difficulty to be proud, on the contrary, we feel proud of you, we feel proud of all teachers of Albania.

On the other hand, there are some positive data, very encouraging, also regarding the objectives, taking into account the need to further push technology. Surely, it is very encouraging that the average of our teachers who have a connection with the use of technology is higher than the average of all systems taken together in this survey.
Also, we are glad to see that the effort we have done together for the partnership between the school, parents and students, by promoting the model of the school as a community center, and by promoting also the interaction between the school and parents in all the schools of Albania, is reflected as a more positive element than the average of the surveyed systems.

Also, it is truly something very motivating for us, but surely it should also be a source of pride for you and for all the body of teachers, that our teachers result to be satisfied with their profession, as also is reflected in the survey that 85% of teachers have chosen teaching as a vocation and also as a profession.

The balancing then of time in teaching between teaching itself and administrative duties is another element that we must together address, since it is expressed also as a concern by teachers, and surely that professional development, continuous education of teachers, their systematic participation in trainings to improve quality and to increase the impact of teachers in the teaching process, is an objective that is confirmed also from the survey, we are aware for these.

Today, naturally, is a beautiful day to celebrate everything positive that the report of this survey underlines, and surely it is a day to thank in a special way you and through you, all teachers of Albania — or more precisely, female teachers and male teachers, since they are more female teachers than male teachers, thank God — that you are who you are and that you have honored also Albania in this process.

I do not want to tell how many things we have done or how many things we are doing, but I want to tell you that we are very conscious for the necessity also of some other steps, the strong emphasis that we will put more and more together on science, technology, with a great understanding of the necessity, evident to push more engineering, to push more mathematics, and to integrate as much as possible AI in the teaching process.

On the other hand, it is necessary that we work together to make students conscious for that which today is the key word of the EU and will be the key word of our being as part of the EU — much faster than we may think today, since time passes quickly and the end of 2027 is the same as tomorrow — which is the green transition within the great challenge of climate change, and which means increase of individual and civic responsibility towards the environment, in a series of aspects.

Nevertheless, we believe a lot in you, we have believed in you even before this survey showed in a scientific way that you deserve all the trust and all the respect of society, different from what may seem from far away or different from what, repeatedly, especially until some years ago, may have been said and may have been propagated from social networks about the figure of the teacher. And we are very proud for this, for the sake of truth, because the restoration in place of the authority of the teacher is a big challenge of this time, an authority that we found hurt from the time, hurt from the excessive politicization of the system, hurt from the fact that teachers had no guarantee for their workplace, had no guarantee for evaluation according to merit, had no guarantee for anything and everything they had connected with party membership or with connections of another nature.

While today it is consolidated practice that you are untouchable in your workplace, regardless of what political beliefs you may have or regardless of how you may express them.
Today, it is consolidated practice that there is no more movement of teachers from one place to another, or taking in work of teachers for other reasons outside the test and outside the structure now legalised by the Parliament of Albania.

And just as the sports program is giving us satisfaction and over 12 thousand children are now included in a sports movement in school, and we are also expanding the number of sports disciplines, beyond basketball and beyond volleyball for girls and for boys, we will also develop the program of arts and crafts. I have also spoken with the minister, that it should be given a further push to that program, but to give a further push to that program, we must organise ourselves better, and we must have a more sustainable system of work, and naturally, we must also think about the reward for those who will deal with this program.

In closing, once again, I thank you very much for everything, sincerely.

Thank you very much, much respect, and all the best, strong nerves, health, motivation, and surely we support you.