Under this project, more than 680 smart labs will be established in 627 schools across the country, increasing the availability of computer labs for students in their pre-university cycles and enhancing computer programming skills.

In his remarks at launch of the National Professional Development Program for Teachers, Rama said that the project will be implemented through assistance from the international partners, including the European Union and the World Bank.

“I think that the alliance with our partners is very significant and that’s why we have invited the World Bank, which, for the very first time, figuring out this incredible need and this almost alarming challenge, has made a strategic change to its portfolio by making a significant part of it available to education and digitization in particular, and thanks to the WB support we will establish hundreds of more smart labs in various schools this year,” PM Rama said.

The Premier also noted that the European Union, for the very first time in its history, had altered its approach by employing new financial tools for a non-EU state that has launched the accession talks and by including Albanian universities in the alliance of the European universities.

“Now, with the new growth plan announced by the European Commission for our countries, primarily thanks to our perseverance and efforts, Albania has demanded that it can be seen differently during this process and therefore we will be able to allocate more funds to support economic growth, but focusing also on education,” he said.

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Addressing the launch of the National Professional Development Program for Teachers on Tuesday, the government head underlined that the Program is a crucial moment, as it marks the beginning og a new stage in reforming the education system.

“This is a very crucial moment as it determines the beginning of a new stage in reforming the education system as it turns the spotlight on the teacher as the irreplaceable power of the whole system and as an authority that that should be supported more, should be motivated more and should be affirmed more in our community,” PM Rama said.

“The reason why we see opening this new stage as an imperative is primarily because, as you all are more aware than anybody else, since you experience firsthand the challenge of teaching pupils, who are increasingly challenging each year because of the environment they live in and the technology “storm” that has swept young and old, due to the fact that the challenge of the speed of time is becoming such that it is taking really both frightening and inspiring proportions,” he went on saying.

“I would like to affirm that we will do whatever we can and we will even make utmost efforts to boost the extensive support for teachers and the education system as a whole,” Rama stated.

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