Policy-Making Processes in Albania: Changes, Challenges and Gaps

1. Policy-Making Processes in Albania: Changes, Challenges and Gaps DR.TIDITA ABDURRAHMANI, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ALBANIA

2. Policy-Making and Evidence Provision in Albania Policy making in The Ministry of Education and Science Collaboration with IED and the other second-level agencies. • Since 2004 education in terms of structure ,curriculum content, teacher education ,legislation ,institutions roles and responsibilities. • Reforms driven by political agenda and strategy, inside and outside demand for a paradigm shift. • IED provision of evidence for policy makers participation in action planning coaching to school actors, consultation with stakeholders,informatiojn of policymakers. • Methodology: • Collecting evidence, analyzing and assessing evidence, documenting assessment. • The focus of the accompanying research: focus on inputs, focus on process, focus on outcomes. • From Evidence to Actions: knowledge creation, knowledge dissemination, knowledge use.

3. Critical Issues in Evidence-Based Policy Making in Albania • Critical issues: The funneling process (refining research findings into digestible summary statements), relevancy of reviews of research for policymakers, specifying goals, selecting strategies, ambiguous causal relationship , trial and error model or scientific accuracy model, insufficiency of knowledge in identifying ends and means. • Evidence based policy-making and the promotion of the individual needs of children in Albania. • Collect information on differences and individual needs of children ,little experience in providing assessment, teachers not ready to design interventions.

4. Evidence-Based Practice and the Reform of Basic Education Current Basic Education Curriculum Review. Problems (lack of Curricular Framework, teaching plan lacking integrative cross-curricular vision, objectives of the syllabi weakly adapted to age, differential approach missing ,missing Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Evaluation. The Process and the Content. Working groups need to have a shared vision, strategic agenda and times of pressure impact on the dynamics of roles. IED procedural and operational manuals. IED decision making for criteria for selection of curriculum models, decide on integrative approach appropriate for the context of Albania, large classrooms not allowing for interactive teaching methodology.

5. The Reform of Basic Education(continuation) The Methodology and the Instruments. • What constitutes real evidence? Methodology, capacity. • When is adequate evidence available to inform decisions? Timing, good data. • How can credible evidence be ensured ? Transparency, Independence • A receptive policy environment leading to evidence-based policy making. • From evidence collectors for policy-making to policy entrepreneurs. • Knowing what works and what doesn’t work. • Changes and challenges. • The role of socialinclusion in the philosophy of the basic education curriculum under reformation.

6. Policy Changes and Policy Initiatives in Education. Impact on Quality and Equity • The 2011 Pre-University Education Draft Law. • Decentralization of the teacher professional development system. • Empowerment of the local educational sectors. • Focus on “Education for all”. • Bridging the gap between levels of the education system. “Quality and Equity in Education “project, priorities, investments, and impact on the quality of the teaching and learning process. • Accreditation of the Training Programmes • Enhancement of the training provider market competition. • Involvement of state-funded teacher education university faculties in in-service teacher training. Teaching as a regulated profession. The mentoring system and the quality of teaching. Career progression and remuneration system provides for a separate system of qualification for principals. The reformation of the Institute of Curriculum and Training, IED and the holistic approach in the development of educational policies and strategies. Transition between levels of education. The Financing of the Univers.ities. A testimony of ‘Education for All” in the higher levels of the education system

7. The Focus on the Marginalized. Social Inclusion Initiatives • Social inclusion across the curriculum. The gymnasium and the basic education reform. • The Roma Decade, the Strategy of Dealing with Children with Disabilities, The National Educational Strategy 2004-2015,The National Strategy for Children 2001-2005(renewed 2011) and Other Initiatives. • Governmental and Non-governmental bodies dealing with Inclusive Education. • The child-friendly school philosophy, capacity –building and coaching for social inclusion, Roma students and their school realities, databazing disability and special learning needs in Albania.

8. Evidence Gaps and Challenges in Social Inclusion • Institutional and procedural obstacles. The autonomy of universities, the reporting chain and data collection. • Local education and local government structures , statistics and assessment results. • Students with Educational Needs, professional expertise to deal with them and data basing the categories. • The issue of data reliability • Mapping the contribution of non-governmental structures and international organizations in the field, and using them for evidence-based policy-making. • Information gap, secrecy, and the need for speedy responses leads to policy being weakly informed by research-based evidence. • Limited professional expertise to provide specialized care, and to assess disability. • Disabled children not declared because of stigmatization, Roma characterized by high mobility • Risk of positive discrimination • Roma people linguistic not ethnic minority, barrier to engagement in mainstream education

9. Evidence-Based Policy-Making. Perspectives. Change of mindset, evidence-based policy making at the basis of the approaches of both governmental and non-governmental bodies. • Measures and legislative interventions foreseen. • Draft-law for pre-university education, state subsidies, free transport, free learning packages, free of charge accommodation in the dorms. I • Compulsory education curriculum adjusted to students needs, reduced class size, IEP-s. • The accreditation of the training programmes, teacher needs-driven, and partial cataloguing of the work done with the marginalized groups. • Broader view of Education for All vs. narrow comprehension of marginalization of ethnic minorities and children with disabilities. • New dimensions of the basic education curriculum and developing special curriculum for children with special needs.

10. A Final Note……… • As these practices and experiences show, none is free of challenges and difficulties through the way. • To summarize, the main issues are related to the coordination of authority, shared vision, evidence and good will for change. • None of the results in education reform are purely devoted to one stakeholder, so common actions and plans are needed.

11. Bibliography • Argyrous, G. (ed), Evidence for Policy and Decision-Making: A Practical Guide, UNSW Press, Sydney, pp. 1–44. •  Edwards, M. 2001, Social Policy, Public Policy: From Problems to Practice, Allen and Unwin, Sydney •  European Training Foundation (2007). ‘Social Inclusion of Ethnic Groups through Education and Training :Elements of Good Practice’, European Training Foundation. •  Ministers of Education from South Eastern Europe (2008). Joint Statement on Building Human Capital and. Promoting Diversity through Dialogue, Creativity and Innovation, Oslo. • National Strategy for Pre-university Education • National Strategy for Children Protection(2007).Draft National Strategy for Child Protection 2011  • Nutley, S., Walter, I. and Davies, H. 2008, ‘Past, Present, and Possible Futures of Evidence-Based Policy’, •  Pre-university Education Draft-Law(2011) • UNICEF BiH (2008). External evaluation of the project ‘Child friendly schools’ project 2002-2007. • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1960). ‘Convention against Discrimination in Education’, Paris, 429 UNTS 93 http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/DISCRI_E.PDF • Zgaga, P. (2006). (Ed.) The Prospects of Teacher Education in South-east Europe. Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana.

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