Albanian students abandon sciences and arts. What are the two branches they prefer the most?
2024-05-13 08:43:55
TiranaPost
The pursuit of higher studies is being structured with the needs of the global labor market, as there is an increasing trend for the branches of medicine and engineering, while the arts and natural sciences are coming down.
Official data from INSTAT show that in the 2023-2024 academic year, the total number of students reached 116.9 thousand, with an annual decrease of 3.6%, while in the branches of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics, the decrease was over 43% and in the branches of arts and humanities, with 10.4%.
On the other hand, against the background of the general decrease in the number of students, there is an increase in preferences in some branches. For example, in branches related to engineering, production and construction, the number of students recorded an annual increase of 1% in 2023-2024 and health branches saw an increase of 8.8%.
During the last five years, the number of students has decreased by more than 10%, while the biggest declines have been in the branches related to the sciences and those related to the arts with respectively 61 and 42% each. The number of students in health branches has increased by 20.8% and in engineering by 11%.
Major preferences are showing that students are being educated for the demands of the global labor market. The increase in the demand for doctors in some European countries and especially in Germany is attracting many students to health-related branches, who emigrate after their studies.
This trend was observed after a persistent protest of medical students who massively rejected a law that forced them to work at least 5 years in Albania after higher studies.
In addition to the drop in student participation, their quality is also declining. In the admissions criteria for teachers' branches, the average of graduates is slightly more than 6. The low interest in teachers' branches will further ruin education in the country, as weak teachers cause low achievement of students in the future.
The models of success that young people see today in social networks and in real life are affecting their interest in school. A punk singer who earns money from clicks on Tik-Tok inspires more than a maths honors student.
There is more and more a mindset from parents and students that school and knowledge do not ensure success in life, affirm secondary school teachers.
According to them, there is a growing perception that school has no value, especially for boys.
Most of them intend to emigrate, says the BM teacher in Kukës. Previously, students dreamed of becoming engineers, teachers, architects, economists, while now immigrants.
*This article was published by Monitor Magazine and reposted by Tiranapost.al
