"Where are the students" was the question that was asked behind the back at the Polytechnic University of Tirana, the Minister of Education and Sports Ogerta Manastirliu, who was speaking to the media at the start of the new academic year.
Activists of the Movement for the University addressed today through this question the problems faced by the education system in the country. Many branches on the verge of closure, quotas still unfilled and emptying of district universities.
"This year we have about 20 registered students, the registration continues in the first two weeks. It is important that the natural sciences branches and open programs such as pharmaceutical chemistry or computer physics have had interest from students and these branches will be revived", Manastirliu said to the media.
But during her speech and after finishing the statement to the media, activists of the Movement for the University contested her.
"Your diplomas are an escape for all of us, Mrs. Minister. You are treating us like immigrants in our country," one of the activists addressed Minister Manastirliu.
Minister Manastirliu invited the activists to the office to discuss, but they said that "from the moment the student is treated as a client in the faculty, the talks with the government are over".
According to the young people, since the passage of the law on higher education in 2014, the situation in education has worsened.
"The problems are the same, but they have also deepened, in the sense that many branches are on the verge of closing, [...] students today see the faculty simply as an opportunity to come to Tirana and not as an opportunity to become professionals of the future." – Loreta Koleci told Citizens.al.
About 20 students started university on Monday. About 70% of them are enrolled in public universities.
From the official data, it can be seen that there is no preference for the so-called priority branches such as teaching, natural sciences, agriculture and engineering.
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Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
