The entire education system, the increase in teachers’ salaries, new programs for students, but especially the transformation of educational infrastructure and the improvement of the quality of our education system towards Albania 2030 in the EU, were the main focuses of the meeting between Prime Minister Edi Rama and teachers, parents, and representatives of the community of unit 5 in the capital, held at the “Besnik Sykja” high school, which has been completely transformed in terms of infrastructure. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu.
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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you very much, and I hope that your patience will not run out for my speech.
I want to start with the fact that when I entered, that very interesting cycle of meetings we had together with Ogerta, with teachers, and with parents across the territory kept repeating in my mind. It happened as a result of the need to consult and hear the opinions of teachers and parents regarding TikTok, but in the meantime, there I was able, to listen and learn many things from that interaction.
I am glad that today TikTok is closed, and that we have ensured protection for children and students from a very negative influence that was hanging over their heads 24/7.
Meanwhile, we have engaged in a dialogue with the company, through National Agency for the Information Society and the Ministry of Education, and we have asked the company that if it is to have access again in the Republic of Albania, it must present us with a credible and convincing proposal for a certain number of security filters for our children.
In my view, the company has taken this very seriously and has promised us that it will present this proposal to us.
I have told them, and we have told them, that in all cases, whatever the company offers us must be shared with teachers and parents. It must also receive their approval, in the sense that teachers and parents need to be informed about what is at stake.
However, what happens is that in reality, it is every minute, and that is why I strongly believe that the closure of TikTok has not solved all this issue, but it was the right step, and I thank all the teachers and parents—95% of them have encouraged us to take this step.
On the other hand, I also believe that perhaps we do not have the strength to confront this parallel universe where our children spend a large part of their time and where it is impossible for us to penetrate, but on the other hand, we must not give up. The only way I see, the way we see, is to raise the level of interaction between the school, parents, and institutions to a higher level.
In this regard, we will do everything we can on our side to ensure that schools significantly increase the flow of information to parents. Not just grades and absences, but also dedicated, individualized reports for each child. On the other hand, we will do everything we can to significantly expand the space we have created, to offer everything we can to children and students after school, by strengthening sports programs, strengthening arts programs, strengthening vocational training programs, and increasing the number of places where children can engage in activities.
Just yesterday, I visited the National Children’s Center, which is taking shape here in unit 5, actually at the edge of the large lake park. It is an extraordinary building with spaces and opportunities that we have never had for children here. If anyone can remember back in time the Palace of Pioneers that was near the Millennium Cinema, the National Center we are building is many times more massive, with much more space. Even there, we will need to build an intensive program and a joint program between the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, and other institutions.
Certainly, this undoubtedly requires motivated and well-prepared teachers, not only academically in the subjects they teach but, above all, psychologically and with the physical and moral strength to manage the “army” of children. When they come together and unite, they are no longer just a large group of kids, but an army with thoughts and challenges that often surpass us in many aspects. They also see us as a force, as an opposing force—that’s the reality.
However, it’s our responsibility to find the ways and means to ensure peaceful coexistence with this “army” and to ensure that, once they move past that critical age, they are ready to face life in the real world—not feeling completely overwhelmed when their virtual worlds no longer align with reality, and thus ending up in personal crises or becoming actors in social tragedies.
That said, we are certainly relatively satisfied with the progress made for teachers.
I have mentioned this several times, and perhaps you’ve heard me repeat it—apologies for the repetition. But I happened to see one day that a group of teachers had gathered with other political forces and were freely expressing their thoughts about the government, the state, and institutions. I felt very good about this because no one is silencing teachers like they did many years ago. Or the worst thing that used to happen: teachers didn’t have job security or guarantees. All of that is unimaginable today, let alone happening.
On the other hand, salaries—you know this yourself; you can count the numbers we mention—have steadily increased. I don’t think anyone would have believed, if told in advance, that in 2024, the average salary would be 950 euros, and that they wouldn’t have laughed and dismissed it as just another lie. But the fact is that today, the average salary of teachers is 950 euros. It’s much higher than it was, it’s much more dignified in our country, but it’s still not enough, and it’s not enough especially when you consider what I just mentioned.
But it is a psychological work difficulty. So, our goal, our ambition, and our plan—not just ambition, but our plan—is that in the coming years, within this decade, we will raise the average salary of teachers to 1,250 euros. It is achievable, completely achievable, and I don’t believe we will have any problems with this. Meanwhile, as the acting mayor and the minister mentioned, the continuous improvement of school conditions is something that again works in favor of increasing the desire to go to work and to work.
We are building 40 new schools, and 450 have already been built. This is a very large number, especially considering what was there before.
Nevertheless, roughly 300 laboratories are a very good foundation for what we are building today for the children, including access to coding and so on.
I want to conclude by saying that we will need to focus even more, both on the ongoing professional development programs for teachers and on the titles and categories that teachers have within the system—not in the sense of changing anything, but simply to strengthen the entire system continuously.
We have some ideas, and you surely have other ideas as well, but it is absolutely fundamental that the investment in the teaching staff goes hand in hand with the major investment we are making in the Armed Forces.
This is the objective, this is the goal, this is the ambition, because in the end, we will defend our homeland, of course. But if we protect the homeland from external threats—something for which the Armed Forces exist—while the internal risk of total disconnection from reality continues to grow among those who are children today, then we have actually lost the battle. This is the greatest threat facing all democratic societies, because in non-democratic societies, there are other risks, but not this one.
Thank you very much for your patience, and I am deeply grateful for everything you do, and for the solidarity with everything you endure every day. These words come from a “reborn” parent, not many years ago.
Thank you so much!