Albanian students are some of the most informed on global issues and the most welcoming to immigrants out of all 38 OECD countries.
According to the PISA 2018 Report “Are Students Ready to Thrive in an Interconnected World?” published this week, students in Albania, Greece, Malta, Lithuania and Portugal had the highest levels of awareness of global issues. These levels were substantially higher than the OECD average. Countries that did not fare well included Argentina, Indonesia, Romania and Saudi Arabia.
81 % of Albanian students surveyed said they had learned to communicate with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and a similar number said that they understood how this could impact peoples opinions on different issues.
Sadly, those of a lower socioeconomic status reported that they were 10% less likely to be asked for their opinion on current affairs, by teachers, than those of a higher status.
90% of Albanian students said looking after the environment was important, 73% believed they had the power to do something about the problems of the world, and almost 87% believed they were global citizens. 86% also said they felt they had a responsibility to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Another positive finding was that Albanian students were some of those most interested in learning about other cultures. They also demonstrated the most positive attitude towards foreigners and immigrants, significantly higher than the OECD average. They also outperformed France, Italy, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Turkey in these areas.
Students in Albania said that immigrants should have the same rights as Albanians. 88% said they should be allowed to vote and91% said they should be able to continue their customs and lifestyle. 90% said immigrant children should have the same opportunities as Albanian children.
They overwhelmingly stated that they respect those from other cultures as being equal and treat everyone with respect, regardless of cultural background. Over 72% said they participated in cultural diverse events throughout the school year although this figure rose to 77% in students of a higher socioeconomic status.
The PISA is the world’s most comprehensive and reliable indicator of students capabilities, according to the OECD. It is designed to help countries and governments fine-tune their policies and priorities. The OECD produces the report on a triennial basis to support countries in providing the best education possible.
“Equipping citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their full potential, to contribute to an increasing interconnected world, and to covert better skills into better lives needs to become a more central preoccupation of policy makers around the world. Fairness, integrity, and inclusiveness in public policy hinge on the skills of citizens.”
