An educational system in transition, striving for modernization…

Education priorities and policies in Albania over the past decade have focused on improving the quality, inclusiveness and equity of public education through increased funding and strategic reforms.

From a system perspective, the education system appears to be in need of:

Increasing funding for public education. Frequent campaigns highlight the urgent need for significant investment in public education to address underfunded schools, inadequate infrastructure and low quality teacher compensation. These improvements aim to increase equity and attract families back into the public system, reducing reliance on private education.

Quality and inclusive education. Efforts to align with Sustainable Development Goal 4 emphasize inclusive education for all children, addressing disparities in access and outcomes between urban and rural areas. This includes better resources for schools and professional development for educators

Focus on early childhood and technical education. Prioritizing early childhood education, alongside technical and vocational training, is part of a broader strategy to increase workforce readiness and address skills gaps in the labor market.

Strengthening the image of teachers. Initiatives aim to improve teacher training, compensation, and working conditions to increase their morale and effectiveness, making the profession more attractive. But functionality only comes from combining them with more effective policies to enhance the image of teachers by turning them into a function of education rather than parents and students (a change of approach).

Strengthening educational governance. Promoting democratic governance and cooperation between policymakers, educators and unions aims to improve the overall efficiency of the education system and its responsiveness to social needs.

In fact, despite the problems encountered and the failure to meet strategic objectives in terms of quantity and quality, it should be noted that the education reform in Albania is progressing well in several areas with several important initiatives aimed at modernizing and improving access, quality and inclusiveness throughout the system, such as:

Infrastructure and post-earthquake recovery. Through programs such as EU4Schools, the Albanian government, supported by the European Union and UNDP, has rebuilt or modernized many schools affected by the 2019 earthquake. More than 44 schools have been completed and 16 are under construction, providing safer and more accessible facilities for thousands of students and teachers.

Teacher salaries and professional development. A historic salary increase for teachers is set for 2024, with average earnings rising to around €950 per month. The government has also launched a National Professional Development Programme, focusing on improving teaching in core subjects such as mathematics, languages ​​and science.

Curriculum and Vocational Education. The “School 2030” initiative aims to improve curricula and develop students’ competences to adapt to future career needs. Vocational education reforms are expanding training opportunities to meet labour market demands, although challenges remain in attracting wider participation. We will look at this in more detail below.

EU integration of higher education. Efforts are being made to internationalise Albanian universities by introducing joint degree programmes and partnerships with prestigious institutions worldwide. This is in line with Albania’s broader EU membership ambitions

Policy and Inclusion. The National Education Strategy (2021–2026) emphasizes inclusion, lifelong learning, and quality assurance at all levels of education. However, challenges such as equal access for Roma children and those with disabilities persist.

Overall, while education reform in Albania is promising, long-term challenges such as demographic decline, equitable access and consistent quality across regions require continued attention. The government’s current focus on digitalization, teacher development and infrastructure improvements reflects its commitment to aligning the system with European standards.

But what about the other side of the education coin?

Looking at this side, we see that Albania’s education policies continue to face challenges that have not yet been overcome, despite ongoing reforms, the most important of which include:

Underfunding and resource allocation. Despite efforts to increase budgets, public education in Albania continues to face inadequate funding, which does not exceed 2.6% of GDP, compared to the average of 5% for countries in the Region. Schools often lack modern equipment, sufficient teaching materials and well-trained staff, especially in rural areas. This resource disparity makes it difficult to achieve equity across the education system

The quality and retention of teachers in the system. Although teacher salaries are set to increase in 2024, attracting and retaining talented educators remains a challenge. Teacher training programs do not appear to be more aligned with contemporary pedagogical practices, and many educators still face low morale due to inadequate support and poor compensation.

Curriculum and skills mismatch. The Albanian education system has been criticized for not sufficiently matching the needs of the labor market. There is a growing demand for technical and vocational education, but traditional academic pathways continue to dominate. Reform efforts in vocational education have yet to fully address the skills gap and the mismatch between graduates’ qualifications and industry requirements.

Digitalization and access to technology. While initiatives such as the establishment of SMART labs are underway, the overall pace of digital integration is slow, especially in less developed areas. The lack of adequate infrastructure, such as reliable internet access and digital literacy programs, hinders effective learning and the modernization of teaching methods.

Social inequality and inclusion. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including the Roma community, face significant barriers to accessing quality education. While efforts at inclusion are part of policy reforms, systemic inequalities, poverty and social exclusion continue to limit opportunities for many students.

Rural inequality. Rural areas face significant educational challenges due to the concentration of resources in urban centres. This exacerbates the educational divide, with rural schools often lacking the same level of infrastructure and qualified teachers.

Another need for change in the Albanian education system is vocational education, which faces significant challenges in relation to market needs, and while reforms are underway, they have not yet fully addressed these issues.

So what are some of the main challenges of this specific and highly sought-after education in the market?

First is the mismatch between skills and market demands. There is a significant gap between the skills learned in vocational education and those required by the labor market. Albanian employers often report difficulties in finding qualified candidates for skilled positions, such as in technical professions, despite an increasing number of vocational school graduates. This is due to the lack of alignment between curricula and industry needs, which hinders the ability of graduates to find work.

Second is the lack of strong partnerships in industry. One of the obstacles to more effective vocational education is the limited engagement between educational institutions and the private sector. Successful vocational education programs rely on collaboration with industries to ensure that curricula are relevant and that students gain practical experience through internships or practicums. In Albania, this collaboration remains underdeveloped, which limits the practical skills that students acquire

Third is the perception of vocational education in Albania, which is often seen as a less prestigious educational path compared to traditional academic paths. This stigma can lead to lower enrollments and a lack of interest in pursuing vocational training, especially among parents and students who perceive these programs as a less desirable career option. Overcoming this perception is critical to increasing participation

Fourth is infrastructure and funding. Many vocational schools in Albania still suffer from outdated facilities and inadequate resources, limiting the effectiveness of training programs. These institutions often lack the tools, equipment, and modern teaching methods needed to keep pace with technological advances in various industries.

Fifth is retaining a skilled workforce. Even when vocational training programs succeed in providing marketable skills, there is a challenge in retaining a skilled workforce within Albania. Many young people, especially those undergoing technical education, often seek opportunities abroad due to better job prospects and higher salaries, contributing to a “brain drain” that is affecting the domestic labor market.

Despite these challenges, reforms in vocational education, such as curriculum updates and a greater focus on digital skills, are continuing in an effort to better align the system with evolving labor market demands.

However, achieving a fully accountable vocational education system will require broader collaboration between the education sector and industries, along with a change in societal attitudes towards vocational training.

These challenges highlight the complexity of educational reform in Albania, requiring continued efforts and targeted policies to address systemic inequalities and effectively modernize the education system.

From all that we have outlined, the education system in Albania can be described as “a system in transition, striving for modernization, while facing the challenges of inequality, insufficient funding, and a mismatch between skills and market demands”.