ROUND TABLE
ON
THE ENGAGEMENT OF EDUCATION TRADE UNIONS AND TEACHERS TO INCREASE THE INTEREST ON THE SCHOOL AND
ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOUR

Following to their engagement aiming to increase the interest on the school and the elimination of child labour, as planned, both Albanian education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH, organised in Tirana, on the 14th of December 2007, the Round Table on the work done in the framework of EI-NOT project, conclusions on the results and elaboration of a follow up program for the future.

More than 50 participants, mainly teachers, pupils and parents from the 6 selected schools: Bathore 1 and 2 in Tirana, “De Rada” and “Ptoleme Xhuvani” in Elbasan, Liqenas and Gorica in Korca, as well as both chairmen of FSASH and SPASH, Xhafer Dobrushi and Bajram Kruja, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Local Education Directorates from the districts where we were focused, (Tirana, Elbasani and Korca), as well as from the Child Labour Elimination Unit and ILO-IPEC office in Tirana, took part in the Round table and were active in discussions and debate during the Round table proceedings.

In his report, held on behalf of both education trade unions, FSASH and SPASH,
Mr. Xhafer Dobrushi, pointed out the concrete work done by education trade unions, in collaboration with the Directories of the Schools in two of the schools of Bathore in order to avoid drop out of school by the girls of high classes of the primary school; in “De Rada” and “Ptoleme Xhuvani” schools in Elbasan to integrate the pupils from Roma community in the school and in society, as well as in the schools of  Macedonian minority in Liqenas and Gorica in Korça district to increase the interest on the school and overpass some difficulties they encounter in acquisition of the lessons.

More than 50 teachers from these schools were engaged and worked concretely with more than 130 pupils, based on the characteristics of everyone, in accordance with the data shown in the questionnaires compiled when this program started being implemented and including in this work classmates of these pupils, their parents, representatives of the local government etc.

Inspiring are the concrete results achieved as a result of this work, returning at school 18 children that had abandoned it, getting out from the risk of dropping out by 32 other pupils of these 6 schools also marking evident improvements in the school lessons for more than 24 pupils.

The heads of working groups in districts level, Albina Pepo, Bukuroshe Shabani and Derall Tota, presented the work done and the results achieved in the schools of the respective districts and identified a range of problems and duties in order to continue this work in the future.
 
Teachers Dilaver Lena and Albina Kolthi from Bathore, (Tirana), Nadire Taka, from “De Rada” school in Elbasan and Cvetko Male (Liqenas), Korce, having with them the respective pupils, totally integrated in the school after their concrete work with them, spoke about their work, the results achieved, the problems faced during the project implementation and explained their valuable experience, working not only in the school, but also in the community and especially with their parents in the family.

The teacher Nadire Taka from “De Rada” school in Elbasan, considering as her child the pupil of Roma community Erges Peqini, thanked him in the presence of all participants in the Round Table for reflection after the work she has done with him and his family for returning at school after he had abandoned it, continuing it normally and being totally integrated in the classroom together with all other pupils.

The Director of Labour Relations in the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Chances, Mr. Bujar Cani, the Representative of the Ministry of Education, Fatmir Bezati and the Head of the Unit for the Elimination of Child Labour in the Ministry of Labour, Shkelqesa Manaj, appreciated the commitment of education trade unions and the teachers on such an important issue of our society, also the results achieved, promising the continuous support of the institutions they represent for further extension and deepening of this work in the future.

Of course, this is not the end. A follow up program, discussed and approved in the Round Table, considers the continuation of the work in these schools and even wider, in other schools of these districts and some other districts where both FSASH and SPASH are also working in the framework of FNV/AOb project implementation.