SBASK vs. testing teachers

The Ministry of Education has warned an assessment of all teachers to identify the needs for their training. But, the United Education Union, it opposes testing teachers, calling them derogatory to them. The union suggests that teachers be monitored during the learning process by professional inspectors.

The Ministry of Education will make a teaching assessment because of identifying the needs for their training. But, Chairman of the United Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK), Nundman Jasharaj, told Radio Kosovo that testing teachers has been dismissed since the idea of former minister Arsim Bajrami. He said testing teacher knowledge is degrading both to the personality of the educators and to their diplomas. The Education Union proposes that teachers' work be assessed by being monitored by professional inspectors.

Then we'll be against such tests. Our government engage to monitor the hours. Professional inspectors go through the clock, take a close look at the teaching work in class with students, see what the flaws are, so that we can all overcome these weaknesses together. We are not against monitoring the work of teachers in classrooms through professional inspectors, but against tests because they are derogatory”, Jasharaj said.

Meanwhile, teachers refuse to discuss the matter. The head of the Inspectorate for the Pristina region, Nebi Behluli, said the Ministry of Education at the end of 2017, has adopted programming policies for the external assessment of the teachers' performance, where the pilot's phases were performed in several schools.

The project has also been welcomed by schools, and we actually have rough attitudes. The same phase of piloting has continued in several regions in Kosovo. It's a package of Inspectorate instruments, made through monitoring, evaluation and instruction watches in class. The results have been expected and software policies of the Ministry and Inspectorate have been accepted, said Behluli.

He said inspector training should be added. The inspectors have included in programming policies in the Ministry's 2018 plan and the project from January to March the competition is expected to be announced, where teachers for the Certificate and License phase will be able to apply for career licenses.

This is a regular process of assessment, but this time it is a new form with a package of instruments in co-operation with experts, schools and municipal directors. To that end, 21 inspectors from American and local experts have been trained. /Periscopi/