One of the Ministry of Education's promises for after-school groups seems to have stalled since the start of the school year. What was presented as an "innovation" to help parents and students, has begun on the ground with unclear announcements, missing food, and children excluded from the program by lottery.
In a complaint received by VNA, parents of an elementary school in Tirana were informed about the after-school program, but along with the news of the "innovation" they were also asked to bring their children bread. This was despite the promise that the food would be provided free of charge by the state.
So, the program that was supposed to make things easier for parents starts with a very practical instruction: the state promises, the parent packs the bread.
But the problem doesn't stop there. According to the complaint, at the "26 Nëntori" school in Tirana, several students were left out of the program after a lottery organized by the school. The reason given to parents is that the teachers are unable to support and care for all the students.
In other words, a program advertised as an opportunity for all, in practice requires luck. Those who win the lottery stay behind in school; those who don't, go back to their parents' old solutions.
The after-school program was launched with great fanfare by the Minister of Education, Mirela Kumbaro, as an initiative that would allow students to learn longer in school and give parents more flexibility in organizing their day. But the complaints show another picture: a lack of capacity, unclear schedules, and parents who once again have to find solutions on their own.
Problems have also been reported with program schedules, as they depend on the teaching schedule and not every parent has the opportunity to pick up or drop off their child at intermediate times.
Thus, an initiative that was sold as support for families risks turning into another beautiful promise at conferences and lame in school hallways.
