Specialist in Curriculum and Qualifications Department, Quality Assurance Agency of Pre-university Education
Aurela Zisi is a pre-school curriculum specialist at the Quality Assurance Agency for Pre-university Education. She has a great deal of experience in implementing various different projects, and is the author and co-author of many articles, studies, research projects, educational strategies and books at both the national and international level. She is member of the working groups for pre-school and kindergarten curricula, and the co-author of curriculum documents, guidelines and more. She is also a trainer in the teaching of pre-school and kindergarten curricula based on the competencies, child-centred methodologies and other topics in connection with early childhood education. In her work, she co-operates with international organisations, such UNICEF, Save the Children and UNESCO, in order to improve the quality of services in pre-school education. In December 2021, Aurela Zisi became a member of the Working Group on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), for the European Commission.
General Director for the Quality Assurance Agency of Pre-university Education
Gerti Janaqi received a master’s degree in Social Sciences from University of East London in 2006 and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Tirana, Department of Psychology in 2013. Since 2002, he has worked as a lecturer for the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Tirana. He has served as the General Director of Quality Assurance Agency of Pre-university Education since November 2013. His research covers the themes of: educational policy, educational governance, professionalism and organisational behaviour, curriculum designation, external and internal quality assurance tools etc. He has co-ordinated commissioned research projects funded by organisations within the secondary and primary education sector, as well as for several UN agencies.
Director for the Curricula and Teacher Qualification in Quality Assurance Agency of Pre-university Education
Dorina Rapti received a master’s degree in Teaching in the Social Sciences in 2003 from the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy at the University of Tirana and a PhD in School Leadership from the University of Tirana in 2013. She worked as a mathematics teacher/head teacher within the pre-university education system between 1995 and 2007, and as a lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Tirana since 2010. From 2010 to 2013, she worked for the Ministry of Education and Science as head of the Vocational Education and Training department, and as head of the Teacher Training and Qualification Commission. Since 2014, she has served as the head of the Teacher Qualification and Career Department for the former Institute for Educational Development, now known as the Quality Assurance Agency of Pre-university Education, within the Albanian Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. Her research covers the themes of: educational policy, school leadership organisation, continuous professional development, the curriculum and external and internal quality assurance tools. She has co-ordinated research projects funded by the World Bank, the European Delegation – Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and several UN agencies.
In 2014, Albania began its journey toward the reformation of the entire pre-university educational system, including its pre-school education, aimed at children between three and six years of age. This level of education is not compulsory in Albania. Providing the highest quality services from pre-school education institutions and kindergartens is one of the main priorities for the development of the Albanian education system.
A series of documents and legal acts have been formulated in this context, focusing on: increasing access to pre-school education; designing the new curriculum based on competency objectives; increasing the professional development of teachers and kindergarten directors; and reforming the pre-school education financial system for an effective fiscal decentralisation policy.
The kindergarten directors and pre-school teachers are guided by professional standards, and the Ministry of Education and Sports supports them with training sessions, based on the conclusions and recommendations of the 2021 national survey for their training needs and professional development.
Nevertheless, Albania is currently facing a new challenge at the pre-school level, that of designing a system for monitoring and evaluating, to thus provide quality in Early Childhood Education and Care, based on the “Proposal for a Council Recommendation” issued as of 22nd May 2018 from the High Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems.
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