Ministry of Education reaches agreement with French government on bilingual schools
2025-12-02 11:41:39
TiranaPost
The Albanian Ministry of Education and the French government have signed a new cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening bilingual Albanian-French sections in schools in Albania. The Minister of Education, Mirela Kumbaro, during a meeting with French teachers in pre-university education, accompanied by the French Ambassador to Albania, Catherine Suard, stated that the network of bilingual schools in Korça, Durrës, Shkodër, Elbasan and Tirana should be strengthened thanks to the work of an extraordinary army of French teachers, while emphasizing that learning French today is an advantage for the future.
"All the meetings that have been held with French teachers, not only in the bilingual section in Korça, Durrës, Shkodër, Elbasan and Tirana, but with the entire extraordinary army of teachers who silently contribute every day to the preparation of students."
The Minister said that teaching French will provide opportunities for many young people, preparing them to study at the Franco-Albanian lyceum, with a scientific orientation, which is expected to open its doors in September 2027.
"Today, we have managed to extend French learning beyond schools, for those children and families who have understood the advantage of learning French to turn it into a school and working language, among other things, to prepare them for the Franco-Albanian lyceum, according to our goal of opening it in September 2027, after we have prepared the law, prepared the budget, and closed the programs, which are 95% approved between the two governments and by the Agency for the Assurance of the Quality of Pre-University Education (ASCAP). The Franco-Albanian lyceum will be a public high school, with a dormitory, canteen, modern classrooms, laboratories, because it will be a high school with a scientific orientation, where subjects will be taught in French with French teachers and in Albanian with Albanian teachers, especially for some subjects with a national character that have to do with the basic education of young people. It will be a school of excellence, public for "all Albanian children, whom we need to prepare now, but also for students from the region and all of Europe," said Minister Kumbaro.
Ambassador Catherine Suard, on the other hand, stated that the Franco-Albanian Lyceum will bring together young Francophones who will be bridges between the two countries:
"It is a privilege that the leaders of the two countries, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edi Rama, have desired, relying on history, but giving a message to the future, that it is important that in Albania we also have a Franco-Albanian high school that contributes to the Europeanization of education, that brings us young Francophones who will be bridges between our two countries."
Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro and French Ambassador Catherine Suard signed a cooperation agreement on bilingual schools in 5 cities, such as “Raqi Qirinxhi”, “Gjergj Kastrioti”, “Luigj Gurakuqi”, “Oso Kuka” and “Asim Vokshi”. In these schools, the curriculum is developed up to 50% in French, giving students international certification in French through the DELF exam, as well as supporting 20 9-year schools for this bilingual system.
