INTERVIEW/ "Maturity as a crime scene", Ndriçim Mehmeti: How meritocracy is being destroyed with a photo on social networks

The circulation of Matura tests on social networks before official publication, which has now become an annual phenomenon, is not simply an administrative lapse, but a clear reflection of the crisis of credibility that has plagued the Albanian education system.

In this perspective, renowned educator and education expert, Ndriçim Mehmeti, points out serious shortcomings in the administration and security of exams.

In an interview with Politiko.al, in critical tones, Mehmeti underlines the need for urgent measures that would guarantee the confidentiality of exams and restore meritocracy in education.

During the conversation, he criticizes the lack of transparency from institutions, the silence of politics, and the manipulation of the educational process for electoral purposes. 

Prepared by: Suela Gjidede

Do you find it worrying that the Matura exams are circulating on social media before the official publication?

Of course, because it is a violation of the regulation. It is not as interpreted by the Ministry of Education, which declared yesterday that it does not violate the process.

It was the ministry itself that declared that it found a high school graduate taking a picture of his thesis and did not say who he was or who the administrator was who identified him. When it says it will set up an investigative group, it must implement the regulation.

The test must be conducted in a state of great secrecy, but this secret comes out in 10 minutes. Those people who prepare for the test are "imprisoned" for days, but the test still comes out. So, who should we trust? 

The QSHA itself has released false data that dozens of high school graduates receive plus grades. If we refer to the figures, there are 200-300 high school graduates with 4 or 5 plus grades, how was the process not violated and how does the minister prove that it is not violated.

The fact that there is silence and there are no representatives of the ministry to come out in the debate, as they have a legal obligation to do, to show why there is no violation of the process, this is very serious.

Cell phones are also used in school, and in the matura exams, we cannot monitor 270 exam centers with cameras and this is inexcusable. An army of teachers and employees is organized for this process and then no one takes responsibility for what happens. This is a great mockery. 

What consequences do you think this has for the integrity of the Matura process and the credibility of educational institutions?

There are big question marks. This is not a state exam. A process has been created where predators benefit. We are dealing with constitutional violations because equality in competition is not ensured.

The integrity of the matura has declined. They even give the bank where they got it from. Then next time they will publish it themselves and you don't have to blame anyone. There is no will to avoid this and this fact demoralizes the students. 

Nëse një i ri punon 12 vjet për një notë, tjetri e merr për dy orë duke kopjuar. Kjo është një padrejtësi që nuk e gjen dot. Një i ri nuk motivohet, kur i merret një provim. Kopjohet që tek Vanafi në klasë të 5, pra po rrisim një brez që korruptohet dhe di të korruptojë. 

E njëjta gje do funksionojë edhe për tregun e punës kur ata të dalin në jetë. Analfabetizmi profesional është prezent që në paralament. 

Pse nuk kopjojmë dot ne në Pisa? Del më mirë në gjuhë të huaj se në gjuhën e vet. Kryeministri 2024-ën e shpalli vitin e gjuhës shqipe, por si ndodh kjo kur këta nuk dinë gjuhën e vet?!

Ka një qetësi e habitshme, që nga parlamenti, ekspertët e institucionet e tjera përgjegjëse. Ky duhet të ishte shqetësim kombëtar. Nëse marrim shembull Kosovën, atje ka dënime dragoniane nëse shkelet rregullorja deri në burgim. Këtu nuk ndodh. Dikush duhet të mbajë përgjegjësi për këtë punë. 

Cilat janë sipas jush pikat e dobëta në sistemin e administrimit të provimeve që lejojnë rrjedhjen e materialeve konfidenciale?

Ne e kemi politizuar shkollën. Kemi vendosur mësues që u përgjgijen urdhërave që u jep koordinatori i partisë, zëdhënësit apo deri te deputetët.

U premtojmë të rinjve që do ofrojmë lehtësira në maturë në këmbim të votës. Kanë futur duart edhe drejtuesit më të lartë. Po referoj edhe një shembull që dy zyrtarë të ministrisë së arsimit kanë fëmijët e tyre maturantë dhe nuk kanë deklaruar konflikt interesi dhe kanë vëzhguar procesin.

Ne duhet të bëjmë një analzië të mirfilltë, duke nisur edhe se kush ua jep celularët fëmijëve. Ne kemi shoqëri të kalbur. Matura për mua është një skenë krimi ku bashkëopunojnë ministria, nxënësit, administratori dhe vetë prindërit. Sigurisht, nuk flas dot për të gjithë prindërit e mësuesit.

Lind pyetja, si fotografohet testi kur del në media? Ne vjedhim në grup sepse edhe në rrethe bëhet nami. Sot kemi mjete për të kryer kontrolle të mirëfillta, bllokon valët, ke kamera.

Pra, administrimi bëhet me tre mësues dhe dy operatore të monitorimit. Në fund i jep nxënësit provimin në CD. Kjo mund të realizohet në salla të mëdha, që monitorhen me kamera dhe shmanget kopjimi. Në të kundërt nxënësi penalizohet. 

Pse nuk aplikohet kjo skemë që shmang kopjimet në provimet kombëtare?

Se nuk nuk i ndihmojnë dot miqtë. Ju jap një rast konkret kur kam qenë pjesë e provimeve kombëtare. Morëm një nga përfaqësuesit e IT dhe punuam që pyetjet të kishin ndarje të drejtë.

Doli shumë mirë, por u tha se kishte të meta se me këtë skemë 'nuk ndihmohen dot miqtë'. Mësuesi tani është bërë një lodër në duar, mësuesi thotë 'i lashtë të kopjojnë se më kanë kërcënuar me bukën e gojës'.

Mësuesi duhet të çlirohet një herë e mirë nga pikëpamja politike. Mua më pëlqen të flas mirë për vendin tim, por nuk i them dot të zezës e bardhë se po marrim në qafë brezat. Unë jam pedagog dhe sot kam rreth 20 veta në auditor. 

Our young people are leaving us and those who are the cream of the crop are going abroad. In the near future, within 10 years, we will also lose our competitive strengths within the country. 

What responsibilities should the Ministry of Education bear in this situation?

Accountability increases when mistakes are admitted. The Ministry is not held accountable. The Ministry of Education has changed 5 ministers in 12 years. None are held accountable. In fact, it could be changed again in September.

Neither ZVAT nor anyone else was held accountable for the murdered boy, nor was any disciplinary measure taken against anyone. Being accountable is a public, moral and civic obligation because it is paid for with the taxes of the state and citizens. 

Does this situation affect the psychological performance of high school graduates and their perception of meritocracy?

It has a huge impact. They see their hard work being wasted and the weakest being left behind.

Knowledge is worthless, but friends, a copycat. Then he runs away. He'll think that when I finish school I won't find a job because I don't have friends. But outside, they don't ask you who you belong to, but what you know how to do and show us.

Do you remember during the pandemic how many Albanian doctors appeared around the world? Does anyone call them now? No. Because we are hypocrites, we please them there because we want to impose our own rules here. We do not operate under EU rules. 

The PISA result in France was poor, but in 5 minutes the director of the matura was fired. The ministry gathered the heads of departments and requested an analysis. Competition is not guaranteed here. Either you have to create standards in this regard, or when you are not good, leave. 

As an expert, do you have any concrete proposals for guaranteeing the confidentiality of tests in the future?

The exam is monitored by cameras. Today there are opportunities. Anyone who cheats is proven wrong and for this reason is excluded from state exams for a certain period. You can tell them to take their cell phones with them if they want, but if they are caught communicating, the exam is considered invalid. 

So, copying is theft and should be punished, just like when a citizen is caught photographing his vote. / Politiko.al/