Author: Dallandyshe Xhaferri
LK, a special education teacher, denounces on the "Sinjalizo" platform that she was prevented from registering, although she followed all the instructions of the Ministry of Education.
"After the file was uploaded to the system and I was told that it was successfully processed, "APPENDIX 4" was not downloaded with the absurd and illegal reasoning that I had to apply no longer with an ID card, but with an ID card number...!!??", - the teacher writes for "Sinjalizo". Dozens of her colleagues have sent complaints to the relevant DRAPs regarding issues related to Appendix 4.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, 11 teachers were registered on the "Teachers for Albania" portal between June 895 and 15. But hundreds of them were disqualified for lack of documentation in the first stage of the competition, which would pave the way for practicing the profession.
On the condition of anonymity, another teacher from the city of Fier indicates that from appendix 4 she was declared disqualified in the first stage of the competition, while she is not found to be so in the list published for the second time.
"I competed for DRAP Fier where I have been keeping file points and test points for 3 years. I saw that I was disqualified in the first lists. The reason: 'Appendix 4' is missing, but in the meantime they have also released the information of appendix 4 that I want to keep and file points and test points ," she says, adding, "I filed a complaint and sent appendix 4. On the list dated June 25, I was disqualified, and on the second list of disqualifications my name was not there. Now, how do I take this? Why do they call us idiots because since we have been with the portal for years, we believe that we know very well what we should and should not send?" - the teacher says to "Sinjalizo".
The Regional Directorate of Pre-University Education Fier (DRAP) through the official response to the request for information tells "Sinjalizo" that in this directorate alone "690 cases have been identified with missing documentation that should have been submitted online", - adding that, - "of the number of disqualified applicants, about 28% have sent their complaints". In other words, out of 690 disqualified teachers, only 193 have filed a complaint, while the total number of applicants for DRAP Fier is 2,678.
Ministry: We have taken measures
The Ministry of Education has officially announced to "Sinjalizo" that " all measures have been taken by the relevant authorities (Regional Educational Directorates) to ensure that every complaint or request is handled and responded to in the shortest possible time ," adding that this method avoids penalties for interested teachers , "if this may have been due to employees of our institutions."
Meanwhile, DRAP Fier has announced that "for the continuation of the candidate qualification procedure, the KVD has reviewed all complaints registered with DRAP Fier", - adding that out of 690 complaints, "only 98 candidates or 4% of them were disqualified at the end of the process, for failure to comply with the obligations arising from the legal and sub-legal acts in force" , - it is stated in the response given to the information request for "Sinjalizo". Among the main problems encountered in teacher applications, DRAP Fier has highlighted the fact "that there are candidates who have not qualified due to the lack of a state exam, since they have a diploma before 2009 and have not uploaded documentation to the system to prove seniority in accordance with Law No. 10171" - which stipulates that the following are exempt from the obligation to take the state exam: professionals who, at the time of the entry into force of this law, practice or have practiced a regulated profession.
Professionals ask: why should an exam be given every year?
Alma Lama, Chairwoman of SPASH (Independent Education Union of Albania) for the Tirana branch, explains to "Sinjalizo" that "This method of employment, repeated almost every year, overwhelms the teacher, as the number of teacher applicants is much greater than the number of job vacancies. A number of teachers express that they have less and less confidence in employment," says Lama, while explaining that part of the portal are "also teachers who want to make parallel moves within the respective Local Education Offices."
She also expresses skepticism regarding the recruitment of teachers through the portal, adding that "this method has a lot of paperwork and low transparency." But according to MAS, this year there is an increased interest from teachers, compared to last year where 10,394 candidates applied, in other words this year 1,501 more applicants applied.
Meanwhile, Alma Lama emphasizes that "the competition is unequal among teachers as it somewhat favors teachers with more experience in education."
The Ministry of Education has listed for "Sinjalizo" the most frequent problems encountered in complaints or requests made by teachers during the application on the portal. Among them is the fact that "Candidates have been disqualified due to the lack of a state exam, or for not meeting legal criteria". Meanwhile, according to the MES, there have been cases where candidates have not been equipped with a state exam license, or have not been informed and have forgotten their teacher ID, etc.
Information problems. Teachers start "school"
During the research, "Sinjalizo" came into contact with a group of 25 teachers who, in order to successfully pass the portal exam, whose questions cannot be accessed in advance as is the case with the license, have started training from experts in the field for a fee. They admitted to "Sinjalizo" that they were not trained or informed by school directors enough about the exam on the portal, receiving only the answer that the instructions are on the official website of the Ministry of Education.
In the group that these teachers have on ëhatsapp, it is clarified that 2 sessions that have a duration of 3 hours each cost 30 thousand old lek, while the payment can be made physically or online. To prove the payment they send the photos of the paid mandate to the bank.
Alma Lama, regarding this issue, says that "some accredited training centers, seeing the need for orientation in the 'Teachers for Albania' Portal program, have engaged innovative teachers in the system", - she says, indicating that teachers pay privately for these trainings to receive Services "that guide, create, apply possible questions about school documentation, teaching techniques and methods, teachers' professional standards, and sometimes, if necessary, questions from the scientific program... especially for new teachers who have not passed the program", - concludes the president of SPASH, adding that registering on the 'Teachers' portal is difficult, but not impossible, "it is enough to increase the culture of reading the application manual and to work/read carefully and understand instruction no. 12 of the Portal".
