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Kosovo
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Serbia
TEACHING HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY AND CIVICS IN ALBANIA
(Questionnaire answered by Adrian Papajani)
1. Are history, geography and civic education taught in your schools as separate subjects? Please specify grades, types of schools and age of pupils.
2. How many hours per week is dedicated to these subjects?
3. What history periods are dealt with in certain grades? What teaching matter is dealt with in particular grades, as other subjects are concerned?
History, geography and civic education are taught in Albanian schools as separated subjects in compulsory education (grades 1-8, age 7-14 years old) and in secondary schools as well as follows:
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
(Grades 1-8, age 7-14 years old)
HISTORY
Grade IV
Pupils’ age 9-10, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2,
Historical period: National History (Ancient-Now a days).
Grade V
Pupils’ age 10-11, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2,
Historical period: World Ancient -Middle Age (16th Century)
Grade VI
Pupils’ age 11-12, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2,
Historical period: Middle Age (17th Century)-1918
Grade VII
Pupils’ age 12-13, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2,
Historical period: 1918- 90’
Grade VIII
Pupils’ age 13-14, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2,
Historical period: National History (Ancient-Now a days).
GEOGRAPHY
Grade V
Pupils’ age 10-11, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 1, sort of Geography: Elements of physical, economical, and National Geography
Grade VI
Pupils’ age 11-12, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2, sort of Geography: Elements of physical, economical, and National Geography.
Grade VII
Pupils’ age 12-13, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2, sort of Geography: World Geography.
Grade VIII
Pupils’ age 13-14, Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 2, sort of Geography: National Geography.
CIVIC EDUCATION
From grade I (6-7 years old) to grade VIII:
Class weeks per year 34, hours per week 1
GENERAL HIGH SCHOOL
HISTORY
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, Historical period:
World Ancient -Middle Age (16th Century)
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, Historical period:
World Modern History (16th Century-1918)
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, Historical period:
World Contemporary History (1918 - Now a days).
Grade XII
Students’ age 17-18, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, Historical period:
National History (Ancient-Now a days).
GEOGRAPHY
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 3, sort of Geography:
General Physical Geography.
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography :
Geography of States of World.
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography :
National Geography.
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SOCIETY (CIVIC EDUCATION)
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS 3 YEARS TERM
HISTORY
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, Historical period :
National History (Ancient-Now a days).
VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS 5 YEARS TERM
HISTORY
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, Historical period :
National History (Ancient-Now a days).
GEOGRAPHY
Speciality : Economy-Bank, Economist of Insurance, Economist of impost
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography: National Geography.
Speciality : Car, Business, Electronic
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography:
National Geography.
Speciality: Forest, Silviculture, Veterinary
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography:
National Geography.
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography:
World Geography
Speciality: Agro-Business
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography:
General Physical Geography.
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography:
Geography of States of World.
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2, sort of Geography:
National Geography.
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SOCIETY (CIVIC EDUCATION)
Speciality: Economy-Bank, Economist of Insurance, Economist of impost, Tourism, Car, Business, General Mechanic, Electric
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Speciality: Food Technology, Technician of Building, Geodesy, Agro-Business
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Speciality: Forest, Silviculture, Veterinary
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Speciality: General Electronic
Grade IX
Students’ age 14-15, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Grade X
Students’ age 15-16, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
Grade XI
Students’ age 16-17, class weeks per year 35, hours per week 2
4. Is national history/ geography taught separately or parallel with general history / geography?
National history is taught as an integrated subject with General history in all grades with the exception of grade IV, VIII, XII.
National Geography is taught as an integrated subject with General Geography
in grades V, VI only.
5. Is the National Curriculum for these subjects general or detailed? Is the elaboration of the curriculum left to teachers or is it regulated by the Ministry of Education?
National Curricula for all above-mentioned subjects is very detailed, official and compulsory to be applied by teachers. Compilation or elaboration of National Curricula is a competence of Institute of Pedagogical Studies only, ordered by the Ministry of Education.
6. Are there alternative textbooks for above-mentioned subjects? Do they need approval from the Ministry of Education?
7. Are teachers free to choose among different textbooks (in countries where parallel and alternative textbooks exist)? If not, specify who makes a decision: Ministry of Education, local government, school principals, parents, pupils?
Don’t exist any alternative textbook for all of 3 above-mentioned subjects. There is only one official textbook
8. What are the main problems of teaching history, geography and civics in your country?
a-School Buildings.
Ultimately more than 60% of school buildings in Albania are reconstructed and a big part of the rest are in process, but because of transition in urban areas of country ar e concentrated numerous population and as a consequence of this classrooms are overpopulated . In some Gimnasium in Tirana for instance, there are about 48-50 students in one classroom.
b- Teachers, teaching approaches and didactic materials
Traditional methods are predominant but a lot of teachers are trained with new teaching approaches. Because of emigration, a very serious problem for the moment is the great number of teachers without complete education, especially in rural area. In national level they are approximately about 30% of total number of teachers. Young teachers after university are not motivated financially to go in rural areas.
A lot of modern didactic materials such as historical and geographical maps, atlases etc are being produced by various private enterprises but because of high prices or lack of financial means from schools the last are not equipped enough.