Left out of the "help" of an assistant teacher

Olsion Hoxha, a young man with Down syndrome, faces the failures of the education system every day. Despite laws ensuring equal access, he faces discrimination, lack of support and exclusion from essential help, such as a specialist support teacher. Olsioni's story, along with others like it, highlights the failures in the steps taken by state institutions in this regard and the imperative need for systemic changes to accommodate children with special needs in Albania.

Journalists: Bleona Prengëzaj and Bleona Zela

20-year-old Olsion Hoxha, who is diagnosed with the syndrome Down, faces great difficulties in education every day, due to the lack of proper support and systematic discrimination.

His father, Milazim Hoxha, tells us that Olsioni first attended school at the "Aleks Buda" gymnasium in Laprakë, where he was left in the classroom in violation of the law.

"The main reason was the lack of knowledge in French. Despite having an assistant teacher, she was excluded from designing the program for Olsion. This situation led to him being left in the first year of high school", Milazim Hoxha confesses about his son.

Olsioni was then transferred to the "Kostandin Kristoforidhi" gymnasium, where he is finishing the school year with the help of trained and supportive teachers.

 "Olsioni's case is still under review by the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination", Olsioni's father says.

But Olsion's case is not the only one. Educator Vera, for 20 years in the profession, shows her confrontation with the child, from the age of 5, who was diagnosed with autism.

"During my years in the education of preschool children, I came across a child who was diagnosed with autism. Normally with him I had to play the role of a second teacher, as he required more dedication and attention. In the absence of an assistant teacher, as much as I had the opportunity and know how we should behave with these children, I tried to include him in different activities or activities together with others, although this was the most difficult part", - the educator confesses Summer.

Also, she says the hardest part was socializing with other friends.

"The other children could not understand his demands or what he wanted. I myself had a hard time understanding him, but I tried several times, until I managed to find what he wanted," she says.

In the meantime, it shows that he has faced cases when the child suffered seizures

"There were times when he suffered seizures. I would inform the parents and they would come and take it, since I could not myself. I had to check 24 other children", the educator confesses during the interview.

The case of this boy continued even further, when he started the 9-year-old school. Same situation. The teachers tried to take care of him as well, while often during school hours, his mother also stayed during the entire lesson.

Now, he is almost 18 years old and has not continued past 9 years of school.

"The most common challenges can be emotional or physical, such as low self-confidence or self-esteem; the deceased in a state of anxiety of a pronounced form, as well as being isolated in himself", says the psychologist, Desdemona Çelo.

She also mentions social isolation, which, according to her, is one of the difficulties these children have.

"Because they may have difficulty communicating or interacting with others, this can lead to self-isolation. They can also face judgment, which in our society, even from family members, is quite widespread. They may encounter difficulties or challenges in the academic field as well, they cannot reach the pace of other students, even in performing tasks or reading", she says.

Asked about the need for an assistant teacher, just like in the case of Olsioni, the psychologist, Desdemona Çelo, explains that the assistant teacher plays a key role for children with special abilities, so that they have the opportunity to follow the lesson equally with other children.

"If there will be a lack of assistant teachers, we will have difficulties in the proper development of the child, because it is precisely these assistant teachers who have the appropriate qualification to help them, given that they would not be able to follow the pace of other children. An assistant teacher also increases the child's self-esteem", says psychologist Çelo.

Also, she emphasizes that cooperation between teachers and parents is very important for the development of children with special abilities.

"It is very important to have cooperation between the teacher and the parents.

Practices that an assistant teacher can do with children, such as in articulating words, can also be practiced by parents. Very important is the support of the whole community and the inclusion of the child, just like others", - says the psychologist, Çelo.

The challenge of education for children with disabilities

The Ministry of Health has defined education for persons with disabilities as a priority in the context of social inclusion, where in article 24 of the KDPAK on education it is determined: "The right to education for persons with disabilities shall be realized, without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities".

But, from a research of Laboratory of Investigative Journalism it seems that this has remained only in principle, since in reality the educational system is facing the challenge of the lack of assistant teachers for children with special abilities.

Difficulties and challenges in the treatment of autism in Albania

"The opening of the center for children with different abilities definitely starts with my personal experience and grows with everyone's experience. A story that dates back 20 years, as my son is on the autistic spectrum", says Brixhida Muça, administrator of the center. Bless the Pain, a non-profit center for young people with autism.

She tells about the difficulties she encountered in our country to cure her son.

"Years ago, autism was not well known in Albania, there were no methods for treatment, which led me to countries outside of Albania for the treatment of my son, as he also suffers from concomitant diseases, and as I watched the treatment given to children with autism different, where, apart from the illness they had, the hospital centers organized various activities, where, even though in pain, they managed to be happy. Filled with a great desire to contribute to my country, where these treatments were lacking, one day, which dates back to 2018, I took the initiative to develop catwalk and charity activities, reaching the creation of the center called Bless the Pain, through which since one year we have been helping children with different abilities, as well as those with cancer", she says.

According to Mrs. Muca, what most children are taught at her center, are basic skills, that is, how they can carry out daily activities without the help of another person.

"There is a lack of day care centers for teenagers, where they can stay all day with certain hours. Another difficulty is the lack of therapists for teenagers. In various calls, open for the search of therapists, there is a large influx, but the moment they are informed that they will deal with teenagers, there is a withdrawal, since there are many challenges in dealing with therapies for teenagers, as they can be aggressive even without reason", she confesses during the interview.

At the end of the interview, she suggests some changes that can be made in the education system for children with different abilities.

"Staff training is very important. Informing and establishing some rules, so that these children have priority, as well as the facilities they should have in the testing part, which they actually have, but are not implemented. The municipality of Tirana has built centers that offer Services, but they are not sufficient and do not provide the quality of treatment as they should, since the children are all placed in one room, where they receive therapy for all typologies of different skill problems, which which shouldn't be, since they take from each other", says Ms. Muça.

Ms. Brixhida tells about the problems these children encounter in the education system, specifying the lack of assistant teachers, but also the attention given to them in schools. There are many problems, but above all it specifies the "neglect" of teenagers with different abilities in the education system.

"Autism and the syndrome Down are incurable, but only educated, bringing out the hidden abilities and talents of children with different abilities, abilities, which should not be left in the shadows, so that we can improve them. With more activity and creativity, autism is minimized," she concludes.

Absence of assistant teacher

Teaching assistants play an important role in providing individual support as well as creating an equal and safe environment for these children. Although the need for teaching assistants is increasing, their presence in schools is low.

Although the Ministry of Education has calculated the number of assistant teachers in the ratio of 1 to 3 students, from the information collected from the data of the Regional Directorate of Pre-University Education (DRAP), a discrepancy can be seen.

These differences in numbers present serious challenges in the development of effective policies and strategies for continued support. Identifying and addressing these discrepancies is essential to ensure that every student receives the help and treatment they need, creating a fairer and more inclusive education system for all.

According to data from MAS, the number of assistant teachers for children with different abilities is 2.187, while the number of children with different abilities is 3.961.

Among other things, according to data from DRAP, it results that in DRAP, Korçë the number of assistant teachers is 228, in DRAP, Lezhë the number of assistant teachers is 332, while in DRAP, Fier it results that the number of teachers for students with different abilities is 319.

According to the data above, the total number of assistant teachers for three from DRAP is 879, while the number of teachers and students with different abilities for DRAP, Durrës, is still unknown, as it has not provided data on the number of assistant teachers.

According to data from the Ministry of Education and Sports (MAS), the number of assistant teachers for students with different abilities for the 2023-2024 school year is 2.187, where, according to the ministry, there is no shortage of assistant teachers, while the data from DRAP show another reality, since, according to ZVAP, Malësi e Madhe, they are covered with assistant teachers according to the hours recommended by KMD, but 5 assistant teachers are provisional and without the relevant education, whose contract was terminated on 14.06.2024 .

Meanwhile, in ZVAP, Shkodër, a student with a different ability has not been covered by an assistant teacher for the 2023-2024 school year, due to the rejection of the assistant teacher proposed to provide this service.

In addition to the discrepancies in the figures for the lack of assistant teachers, there is also a discrepancy in the number of students with abilities different from the data presented by the Ministry of Education and Sports and the relevant DRAP.

The following tables show data from the Regional Directorates of Pre-University Education and the Ministry of Education. In these data, it can be observed that the figures presented regarding the number of students with different abilities from the institutions do not match. According to the data, the biggest differences are in the cities of Fier, Shkodra and Elbasan. In these cities, the figures given by the ministry for the number of students with different abilities are higher than the figures given by DRAP.

During the interview with the education expert, Ana Llazo, we discovered a deep panorama on the challenges and opportunities related to special classes for students with different abilities. Llazo states that the lack of assistant teachers has a significant impact on the support students receive, especially those with special needs.

The lack of teaching assistants in education for differently abled students is mainly related to insufficient funding for the employment of specialized professionals and the lack of appropriate training. Education policies often do not prioritize inclusive education, leaving this area undervalued and under-resourced.

Expert Llazo supports special classes for these students, arguing that they provide a safer and more supportive environment that contributes to increased self-esteem and faster academic and social progress. However, she also emphasizes the importance of inclusive classes for the social integration of differently abled students.

The lack of adjunct teachers presents numerous challenges, including a lack of personalized support, reduced motivation and self-esteem, and difficulty for lead teachers to differentiate instruction for different student needs.