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Albania faces an urgent need to improve funding for the education sector and for a better distribution of resources, noted UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in a special analysis of Education in Albania that was recently published.
The analysis found weaknesses in the management of the sector and especially in the neglect of financing, which has suffered a decrease in relation to GDP and total budget expenditures during the decade.
According to UNESCO, education expenditures in 2010 accounted for 12% of Albania's budget and 3.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while in 2021 public expenditures for education accounted for only 9.8% of the total budget and 3.1% of GDP. In the following three years, according to internal data, these ratios have further deteriorated.
"Improving education resources is critical to ensure that Albania addresses the challenges ahead and ensures that all children receive quality education to meet current and future economic demand," the report states.
Government revenues accounted for 28% of GDP in the 2022 budget and have been on an upward trend over the past decade. Budgetary expenditures were 32% of GDP in 2022. Budgetary expenditures are mainly focused on social protection and capital expenditures, the latter accounting for 22% of the total budget.
UNESCO analyzes that government spending on education reached 59.1 billion ALL in 2021 and was 3.1% of GDP, a level lower than other Balkan countries. The report notes that compared to other professions, teacher salaries are similar to those of technical support staff and are significantly lower than professional salaries and lower than in neighboring countries.
As a result of the decrease in the number of students, the cost per student has increased and there is not a good distribution of resources. The cost of running a class starts from 1.3 million ALL per year for preschool classes to 3.1 million ALL for secondary education. At the basic education levels, the decline in the number of students has not been compensated by the equivalent decrease in resources, notes UNESCO.
The report noted that with the decentralization process initiated in 2015, the management of the school network is divided between the Ministry of Education and Sports (MES), which is primarily responsible for teachers and school supervision, and local governments, which oversee infrastructure. and the day-to-day operational side of the schools. However, the division of responsibilities has not worked, further negatively affecting the education sector in the country./ Monitor
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