"More than 20 years", PD: The Rama government denies teachers work experience

The Democratic Party reacted after the decision of the Ministry of Education and Sports that teachers are only recognized for 20 years of work. 

The head of the education department in DP, Lili Sula said in a statement that after these years the teacher no longer receives any evaluation when competing for the practice of the profession - thus denying them work experience.

According to Sule, this decision puts teachers in discriminatory positions against their younger colleagues who have fewer years in the profession. 

Full statement: 

The Democratic Party strongly denounces the aggression that the Ministry of Education and Sports has undertaken against the teaching profession.

Instruction of the Ministry of Education and Sports no. 8, dated 03.05.2024 'On the procedures for accepting, suspending and removing a teacher from a workplace, as well as the administration of the portal 'Teachers for Albania', is a flagrant expression of the politicization of the employment system; centralization of employment procedures; of the lack of responsibility and respect for the work and career of teachers.

According to this decision, teachers are only recognized for 20 years of work, that is, until the age of 42-43 years, and after these years the teacher does not receive any evaluation when competing for the practice of the profession - thus denying them work experience - a decisive indicator in hiring and international professional evaluations, being placed in discriminatory positions against their younger colleagues who have fewer years in the profession. 

Chapter V, item 14 severely affects the right to exercise the teaching profession even though it has been earned once. "Teachers who find themselves without a teaching load and remain unorganized as a result of the lack of vacancies will have their employment relationship terminated with the right to compete according to this instruction."

The directive, on the one hand, justifies the failure of the Renaissance in pre-university education, the closing of classes and schools due to depopulation, and on the other hand, blackmails and keeps teachers under pressure because they are tied to temporary work contracts and are forced to compete every year for due to the deep drop in the number of students.

It is illegal to not be able to enjoy the right to exercise the profession already acquired because of the failure of the system, because of the failure of the government, and to be forced to compete again.

The government of Edi Rama, immediately after coming to power, contrary to the public interest, made a series of changes in the legal and by-laws, undermining the teaching profession and putting their work relations under the pressure of the Renaissance party.

In addition to the changes in the law no. 69/2012 'On the pre-university education system', Rilindja, during its 10-year period in power, 2014-2024, has changed 5 times the instruction 'On the procedures for accepting, suspending and dismissing teachers'.

Instruction no. 35, of 2014; 

Instruction no. 38, of 2015;

Instruction no. 13. Of the year 2019;

Instruction no. 12 of the year 2021 and finally

Instruction No. 8 of 2024,

These Instructions, which bear the signature of all ministers of Renaissance, speak of:

- The political pressure that Rilindja continues to exert on teachers.

- The abandonment and inability of this government to develop the most important resources of the system, such as teachers.

- The irresponsibility of this government, in the management of the educational service, whose condition was reported as catastrophic by the international assessments of Pisa 2022.

– The professional misery of the administration of the educational system.

We call on Ms. Manastirliu to annul decision no. 8, a decision that places teachers on the firing board of blackmail and pressure, that strikes and annihilates acquired professional rights.

Approving the teacher's status in order to guarantee his legal, economic status, labor relations and career development is the main objective of the Democratic Party, which will avoid fixed-term employment contracts and guarantee teachers who work with dignifies the most noble profession, that of forming generations and citizens of Albania.