OSCE Presence in Albania organizes roundtable discussion on civic education

The OSCE Presence in Albania, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Science, organized a roundtable discussion on civic education on 13 December 2011. The event was part of a project to encourage active citizenship in Albania through education, taking into account the existing achievements as well as gaps identified in the Albanian educational system.

A proposal for reforming civic education curricula, supported by the Presence in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Science, was presented at the event.

“The aim of this proposal is to improve civic education for young people so that they become better informed, effective, and responsible citizens,” said the Head of Presence, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth. “Democracies are sustained by citizens who have the requisite knowledge and skills. The more knowledge and the skills citizens have, the more stable democracy can be. Civic education is an on-going process that is constantly evolving and developing”.

The proposal builds upon the key findings and recommendations outlined in an assessment report of the civic education curricula and teaching methods of the 9th and 10th grade classes developed in 2010 with the support of the Presence and in co-operation with the Ministry of Education.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Science Nora Malaj, the Deputy Minister of Integration Grida Duma, the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination Irma Baraku, representatives from the Institute of Educational Development and the Regional Educational Directorates, civil society organizations active in the field of human rights and civic education, and civic education curricula experts and textbook authors attended the event.