On the eve of the 7^th March, National Teacher's Day, a professional network of 125 teachers was launched by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth to exchange good practices and discuss ideas and solutions to promote democracy in and through education. The network was established within the frame of the Council of Europe project Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania, and will expand to its 75 pilot schools and over 375 education practitioners in Albania. The members of the network will also have the opportunity to access Council of Europe online courses and participate in targeted needs-based training sessions and coaching events.

More than 130 participants attended the Launching Event which was addressed by Ms Evis Kushi, Minister of Education, Sports and Youth (MoESY), Ms Jutta Gützkow, Head of Council of Europe Office in Tirana, and Ms Elsa Håstad, Ambassador of Sweden in Albania and. The key notes included remarks from representatives from MoESY, the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, Ombudsperson, local directorates of education as well as students, teachers, parents and school directors.

In their remarks, the speakers paid tribute to the extraordinary commitment and efforts that Albanian teachers have demonstrated to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also underlined teachers' role in educating future generations of active citizens by not only teaching knowledge but also modelling democratic attitudes and values.

The project "Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania" is implemented by Council of Europe and funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.