Education Sector United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Albania Education Policy Review: Issues and Recommendations Extended Report Albania Education Policy Review: Issues and Recommendations Extended Report UNESCO Section of Education Policy August 2017 This is the Extended Report of the Albania Education Policy Review conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the Institute of Educational Development (IED) of Albania. Section of Education Policy (ED/PLS/EDP) Education Sector UNESCO 7, place de Fontenoy F-75352 Paris 07 SP Layout by Anna Mortreux Printed in Paris Disclaimer The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. ED-2017/WS/22 – CLD 992.17 Foreword The Republic of Albania is undergoing significant education reforms, including the implementation of the Pre-University Education Development Strategy 2014- 2020. These reforms reflect the high priority given to education in Albania, in the perspective of European Union integration and the country’s international commitments. Looking beyond the year 2020, these and other reforms are expected to help align the education sector with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) of the international 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG4 is to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. This means building upon the range of actions taken by the government and other stakeholders to achieve inclusion, equity and quality in education. It involves a holistic approach to human development, an increased focus on the articulation between different types and levels of education and training, and more inter-sectoral cooperation. It is in that context that Albania requested UNESCO to conduct an Education Policy Review (EPR). This extended report presents the findings and recommendations of the EPR in three policy domains selected by the Ministry of Education and Sport as key strategic areas for the reform process: (1) Curriculum Development and Reform; (2) Information and Communication Technology in Education and (3) Teacher and School Leadership policies. The UNESCO review team, composed of staff and international consultants, made several visits in the period 2015 to 2017 for the purpose of collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data. In-depth interviews and focus groups took place with key stakeholders and the preliminary findings and recommendations were discussed at a technical workshop in March 2017. This process was conducted in close consultation with the Albania’s Institute for Educational Development (IED). On 12 April 2017, at a special event in Tirana, the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Niko Peleshi, the Minister of Education and Sport, Hon. Lindita Nikolla and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General of Education, Mr Qian Tang, launched SDG4-Education 2030 and the EPR report in English and Albanian. The findings and recommendations were jointly presented by IED and UNESCO. This extended report elaborates on the context of education in Albania, key policy issues and recommendations, cross- cutting issues and possible future areas for cooperation. 3 For the implementation of the ongoing curriculum reform the report recommends further professional development of teachers in areas such as student assessment, meeting the needs of disadvantaged learners, and using ICTs for teaching. Measures to raise the status of the teaching profession and to attract high quality applicants to initial teacher education are also suggested. The report recommends to increase Internet connectivity especially in rural areas, to invest in digital learning resources, and to develop national guidelines on the use of ICTs in education. According to the review team cross-cutting actions in each domain are needed to improve communication between education stakeholders, promote inclusive education, strengthen institutions, and to enhance monitoring and evaluation. The EPR process and output provide an evidence-based approach to education sector development in Albania grounded in international research and comparative experiences combined with the insights of national stakeholders. It is our hope that through this EPR, UNESCO contributed to policy analysis and dialogue to guide the implementation of the Pre-University Education Development Strategy 2014-2020 and to eventually align the national reform agenda with SDG4- Education 2030. David Atchoarena Director Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems Education Sector UNESCO August 2017 4 Education Policy Review: Issues and Recommendations ■ Albania Acknowledgements This Extended Report of the Albania Education Policy Review (EPR) is the result of a collaborative effort involving the Institute of Educational Development and the Ministry of Education and Sport, Albania, UNESCO specialists, and a number of independent international experts. Initiated by Francesc Pedro, Chief of the Section of Education Policy (UNESCO HQ), the EPR was led by Keith Holmes, Tuuli Kurki and Francesc Masdeu who supervised and coordinated the work of the international expert team. UNESCO would like to express its deep appreciation to the entire review team for their substantive and collaborative contributions. In particular, Tuuli Kurki drafted the Introduction and Conclusion together with Francesc Masdeu. Arsen Mkrtchyan was responsible for Chapter 1 on the Context of the Albania Education Policy Review, and Chapter 2 on Pre-University Education: an International and Comparative Policy Perspective; Ruth Baumann contributed Chapter 3 on Curriculum Development and Reform; Massimo Loi and Morten Søby were responsible for Chapter 4 on ICT in Education; and Kirsty Henderson authored Chapter 5 on Teacher and School Leadership Policies. Meg P. Gardinier was the lead international consultant who compiled this Extended Report based on the work of the chapter authors. The review team also wishes to thank the Hon. Minister Lindita Nikolla, Minister of Education and Sport, the Chief of Cabinet in the Ministry of Education and Sport, the Permanent Delegate of Albania to UNESCO and the Secretary-General of the Albanian National Commission for UNESCO, and the UNESCO Office in Venice, for their engagement with the review process and the preparations for the launch event in Tirana on 12 April 2017. The EPR review team appreciates the significant contribution of Gerti Janaqi, Director of the Institute of Educational Development (IED), and the staff, especially Astrit Dautaj, Dorina Rapti, Irida Sina, Ludmilla Stefani and Erida Koleci. The Country Background Report, prepared by IED staff, was a valuable resource and comments on the text were much appreciated. Finally, the review team wishes to thank all students, teachers, principals, parents, and other stakeholders in Albania who participated in interviews and discussions in Tirana and Korçë. Section of Education Policy UNESCO Paris August 2017 5 Table of Contents Figures and Tables 8 Abbreviations 9 Executive Summary 10 Introduction 19 Chapter 4 Background 19 Information and Communication Technology Review Methodology 19 (ICT) in Albania’s Education System 87 Structure of the Extended Report 20 Introduction 87 Research Limitations 21 The Rising International Significance of ICT in Conclusion 22 Education 88 Research on ICT in Education 91 Chapter 1 Policy Goals for ICT in Education in Albania 92 Context of the Albania Education Policy Issues and Recommendations 95 Policy Review 23 Conclusion 114 Introduction 23 Country Overview 23 Chapter 5 Education in Albania 26 Teacher and School Leadership Conclusion 38 Policies in Albania 115 Introduction 115 Chapter 2 Albania’s Teacher Workforce 116 Pre-University Education in Albania: Recent Teacher and School Leader Reforms 120 An International and Comparative Policy Issues and Recommendations 122 Policy Perspective 39 Conclusion 167 Introduction 39 Access and Participation 40 Chapter 6 Equity and Equality 42 Conclusions, Recommendations and Educational Processes 48 Follow-up Actions 169 Student Outcomes 49 Introduction 169 Government Expenditure 50 Main Findings of the Review 170 Decentralisation and Accountability 52 Assessing Policy and System Reforms 172 Conclusion 54 Cross-cutting Issues and Recommendations 173 Looking Forward: Opportunities Chapter 3 and Challenges 179 Curriculum Development and Reform 55 Introduction 55 Bibliographic references 181 Curriculum Development and Reform 55 Annexes 203 Policy Issues and Recommendations 61 Conclusion 86 7 Figures and Tables FIGURES Figure 1. Education system of Albania 34 Figure 2. Structure of the MES realised budget for 2014, according to budget programmes (%) 51 TABLES Table 1. Data on private and public education in PUE 31 Table 2. Albania’s PISA performance by discipline and year 50 Table 3. Albania’s 2015 PISA performance compared to other mean scores 50 Table 4. IED stakeholders feedback on curriculum issues 56 Table 5. Albania’s 2015 PISA performance compared to other mean scores 57 Table 6. The seven competencies of the new curriculum framework 58 Table 7.