The Albanian Minister of Education Evis Kushi has announced that online teaching in universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be assessed by the Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.
After meeting with the rectors of public universities, the Minister announced on Facebook that universities are performing better when compared to the second semester of the last academic year. Despite this, she said that the Agency will prepare an evaluation survey on the progress of learning for all universities. She did not provide any information on who it will be addressed to, how it will be conducted (considering all students are at home), and what the questions it will include.
Kushi stated that Albania is following the best practices of developed countries but emphasised that the ongoing assessment of the situation and all relevant decision making is in the hands of the Committee of Experts.
According to a survey conducted by Students Denounce, more than 80% demanded that lessons be conducted in-person again and teaching be conducted in compliance with protocols used by the Ministry of Health in schools. They have also sent a petition to Kushi and Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Additionally, the Union of University Employees of Albania has sent a request to Rama to call for priority vaccination of faculty staff in the national vaccination plan. They consider it necessary that students return to in-person learning as the continuation of online learning will exacerbate disadvantages already present from the previous semester of online learning.
Students have also demanded a reduction in tuition fees because they are not using the infrastructure of the university.
