The Liqeni i Thatë area, housing 23,000 residents and poised for further population growth through new developments, lacks a public school. The municipality has refuted any plans to build a school in this area, contradicting Mayor Veliaj’s repeated promises. Children attending pre-university education in Liqeni i Thatë are forced to travel to schools located far from their residential area, incurring additional costs for transportation and private education.
Ilda Hoxha
In March 2023, Tirana’s Mayor, Erion Veliaj, discussed plans to build new schools, specifically mentioning one in the Liqeni i Thatë area.
‘I am aware that there are still areas lacking essential services, and we consider these as the final lot of schools. The same applies to Neighborhood 13, where there is a need for 2 schools, and also in the Liqeni i Thatë area, near the Zoo Park.
For the Liqeni i Thatë area, near the Zoo Park but outside the Botanical Garden on state-owned land, we plan to construct a 9-year school,’ Veliaj stated.
Even in December 2023, he emphasized: ‘Each of you witnessed the budgeting for schools in Astir… We also addressed the urgent demand from that community at Liqeni i Thatë.’
For more details on the school project in the Liqeni i Thatë area, Faktoje requested information from the Municipality of Tirana.
However, the municipality officially clarified that there are no current plans to build a school in that location.
‘In response to your inquiry regarding the construction of a 9-year school in the Liqeni i Thatë area, we wish to inform you that there are no plans for such a project in that location,’ stated the Municipality of Tirana.
Surge of apartment buildings, yet no school at Liqeni i Thatë
The Liqeni i Thatë area belongs to the administrative unit of Farka, with a population exceeding 23,000 residents. Despite the proliferation of high-rise buildings and residents, the area lacks a public school.
During a field verification on May 24th, residents voiced concerns that this neighborhood still lacks a 9-year school.
‘No, there isn’t a 9-year school here. I send my son to ‘Dëshmorët e Lirisë’ school. It’s 4 bus stops away. I take him there every day; it’s quite exhausting. We absolutely need a school here. It’s been said that one will be built, but we haven’t seen anything yet.
When the school is constructed, my son will be in high school. Currently, he’s in fifth grade and today he has the Vanaf test,’ explained a resident of the area.
Meanwhile, many students were waiting for vans to go to private schools.
‘I go to a private school in Linzë; there are no schools here at all,’ says an 8th-grade student.
‘We aren’t aware of any public schools here; we send our children to private ones,’ say parents residing in the increasingly populated Liqeni i Thatë area.
From 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM, numerous vans were observed passing through the area to pick up children and transport them to school.
According to Territorial Planning Regulations, a residential area should have a 9-year school within 500 meters and a high school or secondary school within 1000 meters.
Conclusion
Based on the verification and gathered information, Mayor Veliaj’s commitment to construct a school in Liqeni i Thatë appears unfulfilled.
