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Education Trade Unions and other associations in Albania
together in GAW activities

GAW activities in Albania this year were better organised and more massive compared to the past.
As in previous years, FSASH and SPASH were an important part of Albanian Coalition for Child Education in Albania, organising these activities, composed  of more than 16 organisations and institutions, including Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania, CRCA, and other international organizations and institutions in Albania including UNICEF, Save the Children Albania, IRCCRA, SOS Children Villages, World Vision Albania, MEDPAK, Albanian Children's Alliance, Children Today, Vatra, Albanian Orthodox Church, Gender Alliance etc.

Some of the most important activities organised in the framework of the Coalition were:

1. Materials produced and distributed

Among all other activities of GAW in Albania, were publication and distribution of the Local Poster (based on the Global Poster) in 1 000 copies used as an advocacy tool during the campaign week. Both education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH also organised the distribution of Global Poster and sticks sent by EI, especially in the activities organised in central level and in most of the schools which were more active in these activities, in Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Fieri, Vlora, Librazhd, Shkodra etc.
A wide article was also published in the magazine “Tribuna Sindikale”, meanwhile other newspapers wrote about the activities organised in this framework.
A letter and a copy of the poster were mailed out by CRCA, on behalf of the Coalition, to 140 Albanian MPs, asking them to get back to school and contribute to a better education for children.
 
2. A Football match between children and MPs of the Albanian Parliament as an opportunity to get politicians to show their support for the campaign in Albania, was organised on 23 April 2008, in Tirana, which had a lot of publicity, also because of the speeches of the MPs participating in football match, regarding the education, problems faced and role of the Albanian Parliament and Government.

3. A National Meeting on quality of education for children was organised, on 23 April, by both education Trade Unions, FSASH / SPASH, in cooperation with Ministry of Education, with participation of teachers, trade union representatives, children, parents and representatives of the Ministry of Education of Albania and Educational Directorates from the main districts of Albania.
More than 60 local trade union leaders, pupils and representatives from the Ministry of Education and education directories of the main districts of Albania, as well as from some of Tirana schools were gathered in the Ministry of Education on the occasion of GAW activities.
Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Halit Shamata, greeted the participants and the trade unions for the initiative and spoke about the engagement of all structures of the Ministry and local education directories to realise the goals of EFA in Albania. He appreciated the contribution of FSASH and SPASH, especially in preventing pupils’ dropping out from the school and elimination of child labour in Albania and pointed out the strategy of the Ministry and other education institutions to realise education for all and quality education in Albania.
On behalf of both education trade unions, the chairman of FSASH, Mr. Xhafer Dobrushi, pointed out the engagement of trade unions, regarding quality education for all and elimination of child labour, mentioning also some of the activities organised in framework of projects implementation and GAW in Albania and appreciated the collaboration with the Ministry and local education directories, having a direct impact in the results achieved during these last years in Albania.
Many TV channels journalists followed and reported the event in several emissions during the day.

4. The Global Campaign for Education's "World's Biggest Lesson", took place in a considerable number of schools in Albania on 23 April at 09.00 hrs. After a lot of propaganda from all the Coalition members and the engagement of the Ministry of Education, which circulated a memory to every education directory in local level, it is calculated that some 11 000 - 12 000 teachers, pupils, parents and campaigners took part in the Global Campaign for Education's "World's Biggest Lesson", (according to the actual figures we have gathered), being focused on providing a quality basic education to everyone. Members of the Parliament and representatives from the Ministry and education directorates went back to school were taught the lesson by children, also answering the questions about their engagement to make sure that everyone gets a quality education.

5. A Press Conference of well-known TV Presenters, especially from the main Public TV channel, TVSH, was held on 24 April 2008 under the theme: "Politicians back to school - is time to learn".
Some 15 TV channels and journalist from the main newspapers of Albania took part and broadcast the news about the event.
The president of Children's Human Rights Centre of Albania – CRCA, Mr. Altin Hazizaj, read the press release on behalf of the Albanian Coalition and made the necessary explanations regarding the questions of the journalists.
Well known speakers of Albanian public Television made their declarations about the need of quality public education for all children, as a responsibility of the Government and other education institutions.
A special file with a press release, as well as posters, and other publications from all the Coalition partners were available to each of the media representatives in the press conference.



6. A high level Round Table on education and fight against child labour in Albania was organised on 25 and 26 April, by FSASH and SPASH, in collaboration with ministry of Labour and Ministry of Education.
More than 50 representatives from both Albanian trade union centers, KSSH and BSPSH, where FSASH and SPASH are affiliated, as well as from the Ministry of labour and Ministry of Education were gathered in Tirana International Hotel in Tirana, in a special Round Table to discuss how to work jointly for keeping children in the school and elimination of child labour.
The chairman of The Trade Union Federation of Education and Science, Mr. Xhafer Dobrushi, spoke on behalf of both education trade unions about their engagement in child labour prevention and elimination asking also for including also other branch trade unions, employers’ organisations, state organs, especially those acting in the framework of the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education, as well as other stakeholders in this engagement.
Ministers of Labour, Mr. Kosta Barka, and Minister of Education, Mr. Genc Pollo, took part in the activity and spoke about the engagement of their respective ministries in keeping children in school and elimination of child labour.
A joint Agreement was elaborated, discussed and approved in this Round table, with participation of 12 trade unions, 3 employers’ organisations, as well as State Labour Inspectorate, employment directory and social services directory in the Ministry of Labour.
More than 12 TV channels representatives followed the activity and broadcasted the news about this activity and other engagements of Albanian education trade unions in GAW activities.