Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu, announced from the Red School in Tirana that the distribution of free textbooks has begun, easing the financial burden for thousands of Albanian families.

This year, over 238,000 students will benefit from free books, thanks to a $9 million budget allocated by the Ministry. Students in primary education will receive free textbooks, and 16 categories of secondary education students, including those from low-income families, children with disabilities, and students from minority communities like the Roma and Egyptian, will also benefit from this initiative.

Approximately 227,000 students from grades 1 to 9 will receive free textbooks, along with around 12,500 students from grades 10 to 12 who belong to specific categories. The program targets students from families with social and economic challenges, as well as those needing special assistance, including children with different abilities and those from minority and ethnic groups.
The distribution will follow a set schedule, coordinated with teachers and parents, to ensure that all students receive their textbooks on time.

“The free book program has started and will continue until early September. We will work with each school and parent community to deliver the full package of free textbooks. New books will also be introduced this year for grades 4, 8, and 9,” said Manastirliu.

Preparations for the school year continued throughout the summer, with the Ministry working on registration, school material distribution, infrastructure improvements, and teacher training to ensure a smooth start to the academic year.

“In the days leading up to September 9, we will focus on assigning teachers according to their workload and recruiting for new roles directly related to improving quality and supporting students’ career paths. We are also working on organizing SMART laboratories, with 216 already installed in 200 schools, ready to begin coding programs. We will continue supporting teachers through intensive training, aiming to train 16,000 teachers this school year, focusing on science, primary education, Albanian language, and technology and information, equipping them with the latest teaching methods,” Manastirliu added.