6.2. L A HISTORIA DE M ICHELL
6.2.2 GRI
(Graceni 1967, p. 108).
In the review Hylli i Drites*, 1924 Gjergj Fishta* asked for schools to be able to prepare capable specialists in order to manage the country and help it progress. Special importance was given to the moral stature of the teacher and his professionalism. He strongly emphasized the need to know the teachers’ professional competence because “they are entrusted with the task of the education of the younger generation”. Fishta also asked the educational authorities to make sure they were aware of the values of teachers and whether they were qualified enough to exercise “the sacred craft”. He also paid attention to the issue of scholarships and advised that they should be allocated according to the needs of the country, giving special priority to normal schools (Mësuesi, 7 November 2001, No 7).
As a consequence of the wide range of schools and the lack of a coherent structure the unification of the education system became the order of the day. This also meant that the clergy had to relinquish control over schools and led to big tensions between the progressive forces and the clergy. Because it was highly sensitive and very complicated, the issue of making the school secular was not addressed in the congress. So the issue of the nationalisation of schools and secularization of education remained unresolved. The struggle for a secular education had started as early as the Rilindja Kombëtare Shqiptare period. However it again became the main topic on the agenda of the 1922 Education Congress (July 22°"^ -August 3*^*^) held in Tirana, at the initiative of outstanding educators.
Representatives of the private schools, which were supported by the clergy, were not invited to the Congress. As secularism was the top issue on the agenda of this Congress, it is known in history as the Congress o f Secularism (Kongresi i Laicizmit). Teachers put pressure on the Congress concerning two issues: abolition of the teaching of religion in schools and the nationalization of education. Because the Austrian curricula were to a great extent based on religion, it was decided to draw on the French and Swiss curricula (Repishti, 1972). The moral education class was detached from religious classes. The curriculum stated that it was not compulsory for the teacher to teach the pupil about God, but “not to use the word God without respect or meaning (Historia e Arsimit Shqiptar 1990, p. 324).
The Congress approved a structure of education, which consisted of three types of schools: elementary school - vocational school - secondary school (gymnasium). Elementary education was divided into three levels, two years each. Elementary schools in the villages consisted of four classes and in bigger villages of six classes. The upper classes were for mixed-age groups. The Congress also decided secondary schools to be of six-year duration based on the plotore* school. It was also decided to open three-year vocational schools. Also schools for early childhood education (day care) for children 3-6 of age were put in place, based on two main principles: health and pedagogy. Education legislation permitted them to be either part of the elementary schools or separate from them as they were not schools where children “acquired knowledge” but “institutions which took care of the well being of children”. The aim was to avoid imparting large amount of knowledge in kindergartens (Historia e
Arsimit Shqiptar, 1990. p. 322). The role of teachers was seen as crucial for this age group because to put it in Hilë Mosi’s (Minister of Education in the early 1920s) words “the future of a child is determined by a good teacher and nobody else can carry out his task properly” (Kraja, 1993, p. 176).
In the early 1920s, Albanian society was divided by two apparently irreconcilable forces. One led by Ahmed Bey Zog*, a chieftain from the Mat region of north-central Albania, the other, by Fan S. Noli, an American-educated bishop of the Orthodox Church. In 1922 Ahmet Bey Zog took over the premiership of the Albanian government. In the unusually open and free political, social, and cultural climate that prevailed in Albania between 1920 and 1924, the liberal forces gathered strength, and, by mid-1924, the popular revolt of June 1924 brought bishop Fan S. Noli* to power as Albania’s prime minister forcing Zog to Bee to Yugoslavia. Noli dreamed of making Albania into a Balkan Switzerland. He proposed agrarian radical reform, the eradication of primitive conditions in Albania, a sharp reduction of bureaucracy and the establishment of a progressive democracy. In foreign relations he recognized the Soviet Union, which aroused anxiety among the members of the government and among the neighbouring states. The Minister of Education in the Noli Cabinet, Stavro Vinjau, developed a programme for the reorganization of education. Article 19 of the programme stated “the organization of education on modem, national and practical basis in order for the schools to train good workers” (Historia e Arsimit Shqiptar, 1990, p. 339).
Although the issues of unifying education system and making it secular were raised in the 1922 Education Congress they still remained unresolved. To this end at the initiative of Prof. Xhuvani, the Education Congress convened in Tirana on 12 August 1924 with participants coming from all regions of Albania. There were fierce debates between the progressive forces and the representatives of the clergy. The Congress decided to bring education under the supervision of the state and provide universal education for all. Education was made compulsory and began at age 7 and pre-school institutions would open wherever it was possible. All schools would apply the state curriculum.
With regard to secondary school education the Congress decided to open a provisional normal school with a short version curriculum to train unqualified teachers as well as the opening of semi gymnasiums in Elbasan, Durrës and Berat which would be attended by boys who had finished the plotore. In order to make it possible for pupils from distant areas to attend normal schools the Congress decided that most of its scholarship funding would be directed for students attending the normal schools so that teachers could be prepared in a short time.
Education of women was one of the main issues on the agenda the Congress. By contrast no women took part in the proceedings of the Congress. Education of women was made compulsory with two main stipulations: girls at the age for education were to attend school. All females beyond school age should attend literacy courses. At the proposal of Prof. Xhuvani, the Congress also decided to propose to the Ministry of Education the opening of a Girls’ Normal School in Tirana (Musaj, 2002) and to set up dormitories for both boys and girls.
Another important decision was the creation of the Lidhja e Përgjithshme e Mësuesve të Shqipërisë (General League of Teachers of Albania), in Tirana, in August 1924. This form of organization would provide teachers a framework to address their issues as the economic status of teachers was still problematic. Their salaries were far too low as compared to those of other civil servants (Kraja, 1993).
The programme of the Lidhja e Përgjithshme e Mësuesve të Shqipërisë developed its own programme, which included the organization of education on democratic principles, its secular character, economic status of teachers and enhancement of the image o f teachers.
With the creation of the General League o f Teachers the position of teachers was strengthened, teachers could now raise their voice on educational matters. For example when the government wanted to transfer the Normal School of Elbasan to Shkodër, teachers reacted fiercely and in a letter sent to the Council of Ministers on August 18* 1924 they expressed that they were totally against this decision.
Although Noll’s government had good intentions, it failed to keep to the education programme and became the subject of fierce criticism in the press. Its vacillation in carrying out the program, coupled with a depleted state treasury and a failure to obtain international recognition for his revolutionary, left- of-centre government, quickly alienated most of Noll's supporters. Six months after taking power he was overthrown by an armed assault led by Ahmet Zog, who came to power aided by Yugoslavia.