Back “Laboratories for Democracy” across Albania are reshaping the way students learn and engage

“Laboratories for Democracy” across Albania are reshaping the way students learn and engage

Is a hot Tuesday in Tirana, heading to “Sami Frashëri” High School we meet Ira and Aleksandër, both in their final year. Together we visit the recently inaugurated “Laboratory for Democracy”, which is not an ordinary classroom. It is a flexible, interactive space that features a digital touch screen platform, modular furnitures to create dynamic environments for group work debates and participatory learning, while offering a variety of resource materials on democratic citizenship. “Teaching and learning not only become more interactive and interesting through the tools provided to us in this laboratory, but co-operation and inclusion are also encouraged”, shares Ira without hiding her excitement as she moves quickly her fingers prints in the surface of the large touch screen displaying visually details of a lesson in geography. Aleksander nodes in agreement adding “Now we can touch the subjects concretely, in a practical way, which has changed fundamentally the way of learning in school.”

A transformed school: Flexible Learning and Active Citizenship

The “Laboratory for Democracy” is no ordinary classroom.  The teacher Marsida Shehi, who has followed the development of the lab since its beginning, sees the shift daily: “The laboratory is flexible and supports a “whole-school approach”. It’s used in every subject: citizenship, geography, literature, and information technology. Learning becomes tangible, and all students have an opportunity to interact with visual tools and each other.”

Meanwhile, Aleksandër, who is also the President of the Student Government, shares his personal experience: “Now we are not limited only to theory or simply manual learning. Now we have an opportunity to explore more, to ask questions, and to experiment…”
 While he speaks, he is demonstrating the endless options in the digital platform as exploring the module on “Social Media, Democracy and Human Rights”.

When asked about the benefits of this Laboratory, the Director of the “Sami Frashëri” High School, Majlinda Ziu emphasised that this change is shaping a new mentality in the education system in Albania: “The initiative has revitalised the whole school, giving concrete form to the abstract concepts of human rights and citizenship. We are no longer just forming students who learn lessons by heart, but we are raising responsible and independent citizens who tomorrow will know how to contribute actively to our society.”

The Laboratory Beyond Walls: Community and Connection

A fundamental dimension of the philosophy of the Council of Europe is the school as an open community center. In this spirit, the laboratory opens its doors daily to the wider local community. Through the “Digital Volunteering” programme, students can help local seniors, promote digital inclusion and literacy. Thus, grandparents are invited to visit the laboratory where they are assisted to open personal accounts on the e-Albania platform, guide seniors on how to access essential public services, and other essential online services. “This encourages inter-generational dialogue and strengthens solidarity. The elderly feel valued by sharing their experience and do not feel excluded from the innovation of the present, while young students practice active citizenship by helping the most vulnerable,” says teacher Marsida.

 

Impact Across Albania: A Growing Network of Democratic Education

All of this is not an isolated case. There are 17 laboratories operating in different schools across Albania, including those in Divjakë, Shkodër, Tropojë, Gjirokastër, Devoll, Elbasan, Tirana and others, serving to more than 9,524 students and 623 teachers.

These spaces are carefully equipped with a wide base of resource materials from the Education Department of the Council of Europe, adapted to the Albanian context. Series of publications and guides dedicated to students, teachers, and parents, are available in the shelfs, addressing important topics such as digital citizenship education, concrete lesson plans on “fake-news”, youth activism, prevention of cyberbullying and many others.

As Ira and Aleksandër look ahead to graduation next year, they feel the impact of the Laboratory for Democracy in every lesson and conversation. Students like them are not using the innovative Labs just for learning, but also for leading the way into a brighter future where knowledge, digital citizenship and democratic culture walk hand in hand.

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“Laboratories for Democracy” were developed with the support the project “Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania” implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida).

 

 

 

Tirana / Albania 21 july 2026
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The Council of Europe assists in enhancing the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups by applying anti-discriminatory approaches in the formal education system in Albania based on Council of Europe standards and practices. This project is being implemented in close cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sport. It will also include a broader group of national partners and stakeholders, including education policy and research institutes, selected pilot schools, local communities, media and NGOs, teacher training and youth organisations.

The Project is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe as a part of the European Union – Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey and is implemented by the Council of Europe Education Department in cooperation with the Council of Europe Office in Tirana. The duration of the project is set at 32 months and it is expected to be completed by 31 January 2019, with an overall budget of 600,000 Euros.

 

Expected project results

The overall objective of the project is to find effective means to fight bullying and extremism in the education system in Albania, in line with Council of Europe standards. The first specific objective is to support relevant institutions in creating a safe learning environment through fighting bullying and extremism in the education system. This specific objective shall be accomplished through the achievement of the following results:

  • Pilot schools have developed and started putting in place mechanisms to prevent bullying and to respond to the ideological challenge of extremism.
  • Pupils experience a safe and supportive learning atmosphere.
  • Moral values of inclusion and respect are taught as a part of the school culture.

The second specific objective is to improve educational professionals’ skills by increasing their knowledge and competencies on how to prevent and to deal with cases of bullying and extremism. This specific objective shall be accomplished through the achievement of the following results:

  • Knowledge on bullying is improved through the development of resources for schools based on data from studies and best practices.
  • The capacity of teachers and school management to deal with controversial issues, bullying and extremism is enhanced through the creation of resource packs.
  • Educational professionals are conscious of the issue as a result of the organisation of training sessions, roundtables, workshops, conferences, awareness-raising activities and a peer to peer study visit.

The third specific objective is to raise awareness on what bullying is, how it impacts children, what the consequences of bullying are, and how to prevent it. This specific objective shall be accomplished through the achievement of the following results:

  • Increased awareness and improved knowledge at school, community and central level of the consequences of bullying and extremism in the education system.

 

This webpage has been produced using funds of a joint project between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.