Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro delivered remarks at the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Andreas Schleicher, the OECD Director for Education and Skills.

Kumbaro emphasized the importance of quality education in developing the skills to express ideas and find solutions through dialogue—a point she made with reference to recent events in the capital.

“Like many European capitals, Tirana is facing a wave of civil unrest. In these public clashes, the line between constructive social activism and mob mentality is dangerously thin. Therefore, we must employ every available means to understand what needs to change in our approach—including within our educational bureaucracy, which moves far more slowly than the adrenaline coursing through our students,” she said.

Kumbaro added that, “We share one principle: children and young people must have the space to express their opinions, ask questions, demand change and even disagree.”

However, the minister continued, their safety, well-being and right to learn must always remain at the core of our responsibilities.

Furthermore, Kumbaro highlighted efforts such as the modernization of curricula, the development of training modules on the sustainable use of technology and artificial intelligence for both teachers and students, the “After School” program, and the “National Reading Movement 2.0”—all of which are initiatives designed to foster critical judgment, creative thinking, and a curiosity to learn more. Albania showed significant improvement in the results of the international PISA 2025 test compared to 2022. According to OECD data, Albania’s scores increased by 65 points in mathematics, 59 points in science, and 50 points in reading. /p.s./

In his remarks, Boçi highlighted that, “The OECD has identified a specific fact: schools with fewer than 21 students eligible for the PISA test were not contacted to conduct the assessment and, consequently, did not participate.”

According to him, this is not a detail to be overlooked.

Boçi stated that the interpellation aims to secure precise, documented answers regarding the exclusion of schools hovering around the 21-student threshold from the PISA test, the rationale behind this decision and the financial and technical details of the process.

According to him, public interest demands full transparency—not just regarding the published results, but also which students were represented, who was excluded and who must hold accountability for this situation.

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During a meeting with 88 students who won national and international Olympiads, Rama stated that the PISA result is a piece of news that has brought him the most satisfaction during his tenure as prime minister.

“For me personally, the PISA 2025 result is a very rewarding outcome of a long and challenging journey—with its ups and downs—to transform our education system,” Rama said.

The prime minister highlighted key aspects of this work, including the transformation of school infrastructure, curriculum content and textbook quality, as well as improvements to the situation of teachers.

Rama emphasized that the process also aimed to create a more stable environment for teachers, focusing on meritocracy, job security and continuous salary increases.

He also mentioned training and continuing qualification programs for teachers, as well as improvements in the quality of school leadership through the School of Principals, where administrators undergo training and certification. According to Rama, the improvement in results is also linked to creating a more positive atmosphere in schools through after-school programs, sports activities, art and crafts.

“I believe this is a very legitimate sense of satisfaction regarding a result that is undoubtedly to the students’ credit,” said Rama, adding that student performance is also influenced by the conditions and environment surrounding them. /p.s./