Overview of the General Education System

The pillars of the Albanian education system were established from the necessity to survive during the Albanian Renaissance. The system’s development is closely linked to the nation’s status in the constitution, which is a reflection of the imperative dynamics of Albania’s identity and continuous development.

Albania’s educational system is administered by the Ministry of Education and Sports (Ministria e Arsimit të Sportit). This agency governs the general subject teachers and school calendar coordination as well as the pre-university and higher education. Vocational education is managed both by the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Finance.

The education system is structured in five levels. Pre-primary, primary, lower and upper secondary, vocational, and tertiary education. These educational levels are aligned with the UNESCO ISCED codes 0 to 3 as implemented through the 1997 General Conference.

The pre-primary level (ISCED 0) covers ages zero to six. It includes nurseries (çerdhe) for children aged zero to three and kindergartens (kopshtet) for children aged three to six. The data from school year 2018-2019 showed that 92.1% are enrolled in public. The primary level starts at age six and covers five years, followed by another four years for lower secondary (ISCED 2), which spans Grades 6-9.

Furthermore, upper secondary level (ISCED 3) starts at age 16 and is not mandatory. It includes general education (gimnaze), vocational schools, and specialized schools in arts, sports, and languages. Specialized institutions allow students to be admitted based on the criteria set by the Ministry of Education and Sports.

With increasing efforts to expand the access and improve the quality, the system is gradually developing. As a matter of fact, statistics from 2022 revealed that the literacy rate was recorded at 98.5% while the primary school enrollment rate was at 95.607% in the same year with only a little difference from 2021’s rate which was 97.605%.

Language of instruction is delivered through Albanian, but some institutions at the tertiary level have programs that employ other languages. Inclusive education is promoted through the integration of students with special needs into mainstream classrooms, including specialized institutions for the deaf and blind learners.

Compulsory education in Albania spans from age six to 16. Early childhood education is part of the formal education system but is not compulsory. Overseeing agencies are split into two. Nurseries are governed by local government unites while kindergartens are managed by the Ministry of Education and Sports. These pre-primary programs adhere to the curriculum developed by the Ministry, which aims to prepare younger students’ cognitive and social aspects for compulsory schooling entry.

As they enter the primary level at the age of six, they start from Grades 1-5 and continue to the lower secondary level at Grades 6-9. These levels are mandatory according to Article 57 of the Albanian Constitution and is called the basic education (arsimi bazë).

This law is implemented by the national law and is backed by the inclusive education policies to support students with special needs, including those who have dropped out. Those students who reached the age of 16 but have not completed the basic education have an alternate option of continuing their studies through part-time school.

The higher education system in Albania is aligned with the Bologna Process. The country adopted the framework in 2003 to structure its academic degrees according to European standards.

Undergraduate programs cover three to four years, which leads to gaining a Bachelor's degree. This is then followed by a Master’s degree of one to two years, while doctoral programs span three years. Admission into HEIs is managed by the Ministry of Education, which also sets the criteria. Nevertheless, institutions may require additional requirements such as entrance exams or interviews upon entry, as all institutions are granted with the right to exercise academic and financial autonomy as well as the freedom to conduct research. This framework follows the Law No. 80/2015 on Higher Education and Scientific Research. With that, the Government and Parliamentary Bodies have the responsibility of setting the educational policy and enacting the laws to mold the sector.

Albania’s HEIs are composed of 40 accredited higher education institutions, of which 14 are public and 26 are private institutions. Most of these are in Tirana, the country’s capital, but some are also across the country. International mobility also plays a significant role in the nation’s educational arena in achieving global academic standards. Based on the data from 2018

The HEIs are a combination of public and private institutions. Currently, Albania hosts 40 accredited higher education institutions, of which 14 are public and 26 are private. These institutions are spread across the country, although many are concentrated in the capital, Tirana.

Based from UNESCO’s data in 2018, there were 17,448 Albanian students who pursued their studies abroad. This population constitutes 13.5% of the nation’s tertiary education. According to World Bank statistics, as of 2023, Albania’s tertiary education enrollment rate was reported at 64.73%. These numbers highlight the accessibility of higher education in the country.