The (lack of) Integrity in the Right to Education in Albania

Proceedings of ‏The 3rd International Conference on Academic Research in Science, Technology and Engineering

Year: 2020

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/3rd.icate.2020.11.130

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The (lack of) Integrity in the Right to Education in Albania

Heliona Miço

ABSTRACT: 

Education is one of the fundamental human rights enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its importance is irreplaceable because it shapes the individual with knowledge and values. Many individuals are deprived of their right to education for various reasons, especially as a result of corruption, which affects in particularly that strata of the population with disadvantaged economic opportunities and social problems. Corruption poses a serious challenge to the development of a country, economically, politically, socially and integrally, especially when it comes to a country like Albania that aims to integrate into the European Union. In the political sphere, corruption undermines democracy and good governance, bypassing and damaging the formal processes. While in the area of human rights, it openly violates them, leaving repercussions to the values of democratic systems. The paper addresses the phenomenon of corruption in the pre-university education system in Albania, as a violation of the right to quality education, intertwined with the constituent elements of this right. It dwells on the international and national legal framework addressing the right to education, analyzing the extent of this phenomenon across the legal framework which covers the education system. The presence of corruption in pre-university education will be evidenced by various studies as well as measures provided for in the strategy and legal framework for pre-university education. Moreover, measures taken to fight corruption will be seen to  intertwine with the curricular aspects of pre-university education. The paper finally reveals the need for more steps in the fight against corruption in order to provide the right to quality education in Albania.

Keywords: integrity, right to education, pre-university education system, corruption, Albania.