Pupovci on PISA: The problem is not with educational policies, but with their implementation

In a conversation with the publicist Veton Surroi In the PIKË podcast, education expert Dukagjin Pupovci said that Kosovo's failure in the international PISA test is not the result of a lack of educational policies, but of their failure to implement them and the lack of real commitment to quality education.
Pupovci emphasized that the period of the '90s and the functioning of the parallel system left its mark on the quality of education, but he also stated that the post-war period should have brought a more serious approach to education as the basis of the country's competitiveness in the region and beyond.

"After the war, we did not sufficiently appreciate the importance of education. It is not only a matter of finances, but also of concrete commitment and work in schools," declared Pupovci.

Asked by Surroi whether the failure in PISA is a consequence of the lack of a political vision for education, Pupovci categorically denied it, adding that Kosovo has had proper strategies since 2002, but they have rarely been implemented.

"It's not that we haven't had policies. The problem has always been their lack of implementation. Strategies have been made, but they haven't even been halfway implemented," said Pupovci.

In the discussion, Surroi raised concerns about the political and financial capture of education, calling this sector transformed into a "sausage factory," where the interest in profit has outweighed any concern for quality.
Pupovci did not deny the influence of financial interests in higher education, especially in private institutions established after 2005, but added that the quality challenge is also present in some public universities.

"There is a belief in public opinion that some private universities operate for profit, but the quality leaves much to be desired even in some public institutions," he added.