During the interpellation with the Minister of Education, DP MP Ina Zhupa raised accusations against the way the Educational Services Agency operates, claiming that the public institution is being taken over by the private sector. According to her, there is no direct agreement with the University of Cambridge, but only with a partner organization affiliated with it.
"It is being presented as if there is an agreement with the University of Cambridge, but in fact it is about an organization called Cambridge Partners, which is not the university itself. How can the public interest be protected when a state institution is turned into a corporation and given to the private sector?" Zhupa declared.
On the other hand, Minister Mirela Kumbaro rejected the accusations, emphasizing that the Educational Services Agency remains a public institution and that the Albanian-American Development Fund (AADF) only has the role of donor and technical supporter in the process. Kumbaro recalled that cooperation with AADF has been going on for years and has been supported by previous governments. According to her, the goal is to modernize processes and increase standards in the education system.
"The agency will continue to be controlled by the Albanian state and auditing institutions. AADF does not take over the services and does not benefit from public funds. Its role is only a facilitator for cooperation with the Cambridge Assessment Center," the minister said. The debate escalated further when Zhupa declared that state exams are being entrusted to the private sector, calling this practice unacceptable for European countries.
"Is there a country in Europe where the Matura exams are organized by private individuals? You are turning the state into an NGO and delegating public functions at will," said the Democratic MP. In her final reaction, Kumbaro called the claims "untrue" and insisted that the law does not provide for the privatization of services or the transfer of funds to the AADF. "This agency will be a success story and time will tell," declared the minister.
