Tag Archives: Albania

According to collegesanduniversitiesinusa, Albania has a long and varied educational history. The earliest schools in the country were established by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, primarily in urban areas. These schools provided basic education such as reading and writing and were mostly attended by boys. In the 19th century, Albania began to develop a more formal school system with elementary schools established throughout the country. This period also saw an increase in access to secondary education through private institutions such as the American College of Tirana which was founded in 1887. In 1920, Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire and began to develop its own educational system. This included reform of primary and secondary schooling, with an emphasis on providing universal access to education for all citizens regardless of gender or social class. During this period, many new schools were built throughout Albania including universities in Tirana and Elbasan. The communist regime which took power following World War II implemented significant changes to Albania’s education system, including mandatory attendance at state-run schools and universities for all citizens aged 6-18 years old. This period also saw an increase in technical and vocational training programs as well as a focus on science, technology and engineering courses at tertiary level institutions. Since 1991 when communism fell, Albania has been working towards modernizing its education system while retaining elements of its historical past. Primary school enrollment is now almost universal while secondary schooling has seen significant increases since the early 1990s with almost 80% of young people attending high school today compared to just over 50% in 1991. Tertiary level education is also widely available with numerous universities offering a range of courses from traditional academic subjects to more specialized technical or vocational programs. Albania is a small, mountainous country located in the Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast. Albania has a population of approximately 3 million people and a land area of 28,748 square kilometers. Its capital and largest city is Tirana. In 2009, Albania was still recovering from decades of communist rule and was in the early stages of economic development. Although it had been declared a democratic republic in 1991 after transitioning from communism, poverty was still widespread with an estimated 24% of Albanians living below the national poverty line at that time. The Albanian economy had improved significantly since 2000 with GDP growth averaging around 6% per year for most of that decade due to growing foreign investments and an expanding tourism industry. Agriculture accounted for around 20% of GDP while manufacturing made up around 15%. Major industries included food processing, textiles, clothing and footwear production as well as oil refining and metallurgy. In 2009 Albania ranked 81st out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index with life expectancy at birth estimated at 77 years for men and 81 years for women. The literacy rate was estimated at 97%, with primary education being compulsory up until age 14 although attendance rates were lower outside urban areas due to lack of access or resources. Albania had also made significant progress in terms of political stability since 2009 although corruption remained an issue within public institutions such as law enforcement agencies or courts. The country was also facing environmental issues such as deforestation or water pollution which were linked to inadequate waste management systems or illegal logging activities respectively. Overall, Albania in 2009 had begun its transition from communism towards democracy although it still faced many challenges such as poverty levels or corruption which needed further improvements before it could become a fully developed nation on par with its European neighbors. Check internetsailors for Albania in 2011.