In Albania, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoESY) is working on the national strategy for the Development of Pre-University Education that includes the implementation of a comprehensive Vocational and Educational Training (VET) System for the professional development of teachers that are in service at pre-university levels. The project has contributed to create a comprehensive VET system for teachers by developing a lifelong learning (LLL) Teacher Training System of high quality by means of an accreditation procedure and through the establishment of specialized LLL centers in Albanian universities. Specific objectives have been accomplished starting by defining a strategy for a comprehensive VET system for teachers emphasizing the contribution of universities as main providers of ongoing professional development for a high quality of the teacher qualification process. The first objective has been achieved by both European and Albanian partners in collaboration with MoESY. The second objective has been accomplished by establishing new expertise and standard of teacher training in Albanian universities through organizing a training workshop for Albanian universities and training visits to European universities. This objective has been reached in each Albanian university involving the process of academic staff selection with certain expertise in training program development and training them in European visits and seminars. Under the project, eight specialized LLL Centres for Teacher Training have been established according to the strategy of MoESY and to the needs of in-service teachers. Each Albanian university, in collaboration with European partners and MoESY, has decided about training centre team that included academic staff selected, master teachers and representatives of regional directorate of education in order to meet all the teachers’ needs for annual qualification and professional development. Actually, the TLLL centre has a location specified with a name, an address, a structure proposed, according to a business plan, a website integrated to the university one, etc. Albanian partners have visited European project partner institutions. Not only, have they been trained in order to understand the process. Sixteen teacher training course programs have been developed for different levels of education in scientific methodologies, pedagogical issues, ethics and ICT use in learning according to European standards. These short programs have been proposed after identifying teacher qualification needs. The training centers teams have coordinated through a Network of LLL Centres for Teacher Training identifying and selecting the teacher training programs that contribute to relevant level in the new competencies of teaching in high standard. A new academic methodology has been designed and developed that consist in credits application to MoESY for 16 new teacher training courses with 2 credits and 1 credit each, designing classrooms and equipment to support the training process. A digital structure has been created in each Albanian university that supports training process for teacher qualification and their lifelong learning. Academic staff and students have been involved to the centre in order to work on how to be creative and to discover equipment and other ICT resources that perform and illustrate new knowledge in an attractive way. A national information management system & database of teacher training has been developed that is able to register teachers in training courses, to manage the assessment processes, delivery of results, course participation and frequentation, etc. Human resources of Albanian partners have been engaged to design and develop this national system that manages the process of teacher registration.
In Albania, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoESY) is working on the national strategy for the Development of Pre-University Education that includes the implementation of a comprehensive Vocational and Educational Training (VET) System for the professional development of teachers that are in service at pre-university levels. The project aims at contributing to the comprehensive VET system for teachers by developing a lifelong learning (LLL) Teacher Training System of high quality by means of an accreditation procedure and through the establishment of specialized LLL centres in Albanian universities.Specific objectives are the following:1. Defining a strategy for a comprehensive VET system for teachers emphasasing the contribution of universities as main providers of ongoing professional development for a high quality of the teacher qualification process. This objective will be achieved by both European and Albanian partners in collaboration with MoESY. 2. Establishing new expertise and standard of teacher training in Albanian universities through organizing a training workshop for Albanian universities and training visits to European universities. This objective will be reached in each Albanian university involving the process of academic staff selection with certain expertise in training program development. 3. Establishing specialized LLL Centres for Teacher Training according to the strategy of MoESY and to the needs of in-service teachers. Each Albanian university in collaboration with European partners and MoESY will decide about training centre team that has to include academic staff selected, master teachers and representatives of regional directorate of education in order to meet all the teachers’ needs for annual qualification and professional development. The centre should have a location with a name, an address, a structure proposed, etc. Albanian partners have to visit European project partner institutions and to be trained in order to understand the process.4. Developing teacher training course programs for different levels of education in scientific methodologies, pedagogical issues, ethics and ICT use in learning according to European standards. After identifying teacher qualification needs, the training centres team have to coordinate through a Network of LLL Centres for Teacher Training in order to identify and select the teacher training programs that contribute in relevant level in the new competencies of teaching in high standard. 5. Designing and developing a new academic methodology that consist in credits application to MoESY for 16 new teacher training courses with 2 credits each and design classrooms and equipment to support the training process. 6. Creating digital structures (video projectors, interactive laboratories, smart board, laptops, etc.) in Albanian universities that support training process for teacher qualification and their lifelong learning. Academic staff and students involved to the centre will work to be creative and to discover equipment and other ICT resources that perform and illustrate new knowledge in an attractive way. 7. Developing a national information management system & database of teacher training that will be able to register teachers in training courses, to manage the assessment processes, exams, course materials delivery, etc. Human resources of Albanian universities will be engaged to design and develop the national system that manages the process of teacher registration. This objective involves government requirements within the definition of a broadher accreditation system and needs the collaboration of representatives from MoESY and other national and international stakeholders.