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#EU4Schools- The first 13 education institutions to welcome children for the new school year
The 2019 earthquake that hit Albania destroyed their schools and kindergartens but not the dreams of 3500 children in eleven most disaster-affected municipalities of Albania. Today EU4Schools programme is bringing children’s dreams to life.
“The repair of the school will bring a world of changes to the community of children, pupils, and teachers. The teaching and learning process will take off in a new and enabling environment for pupils to thrive, prosper and learn. The school water supply will be part of the city’s network, avoiding the nearby well, which was contaminated with sewage. Children attending kindergarten will have a separate and safer entrance avoiding the crowds of pupils”-says the principal of Fiqiri Kurti School in Kavaja.
‘’The new school year will begin later this month. Our new school is almost under completion. It has a new chemistry lab. It is like the schools I see in movies”-says Entela, a 12-year-old from Fushe Kruje who aspires to be a chemical engineer one day.
“My son has seen the design of the kindergarten advertised at the entrance of the building and every time we pass by the area, he stops to take a look again and again. I am so happy. This is a vital investment for our children” says Drita, the parent of a five-year child living in Durres.
These are but a few voices coming from the community of teachers and pupils who are set to benefit from the EU4Schools Programme-the biggest EU investment for the most vital part of society.
With an amount of Euro 75 Million, 63 education institutions are being reconstructed or repaired benefiting 40.000 pupils, children, teachers. EU4School Programme is implemented by UNDP in Albania.
During the first phase of the programme, 42 consultations have been conducted-all aiming to “tailor “the school designs as per the needs of the communities.
Public Consultations on #TheSchoolIWant stand at the heart of the programme
UNDP, the programme implementer, deploys two key principles #BuildBackBetter and #BuildBackTogether. Build back better implies stronger structures, resistance to earthquakes and natural disasters and in line with the highest international standards of quality and safety. All 63 education institutions will have renewable energy sources, will be fully accessible for pupils and children with special needs and will have dedicated spaces for medical care and psychological support.
#BuildBackTogether offers a unique opportunity to engage the beneficiaries in the reconstruction process. Around 25 consultations organized so far have brought together around 880 pupils, children, parents, representatives of the local government, and local institutions.
The first, 13 education facilities in Kamez, Kruja, Kavaja, and Kurbin, part of the 1st phase of the programme, will be handed over to the authorities by September thus enabling 3350 pupils, children, and teachers to start the new school year in brand new and modern facilities-exactly like their peers in any EU member state.
To get real-time updates of the #EU4SChools Programme, go to the Transparency Portal:
“For more than one year, we attended classes in another school in our neighborhood. We “lost’” the sense of belonging to our own school. Moreover, we had to stop our cultural and sports activities, due to limited space in the hosting school. September seems so far away, yet I know it is “next door”-says Anduena, a student at “Skenderbeu” High School in Kruja.
EU4Schools Programme tailored for the young generation of Albanians is an important EU long-term social investment. An investment in education always pays the highest returns.
Thanks to EU4Schools the 63 new facilities will resemble the ones in any European Union Members States. The children of Albania deserve this.
