The Minister of Education in Kosovo, Arbërie Nagavci, and Albania’s Evis Kushi, on September 1 in Gjakova inaugurated the common Children’s Primer that will be used by first-grade pupils in both countries.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was present at the inauguration of the Primer in Gjakove/Djakovica, and said that from now on, all Albanian-speaking schoolchildren will learn with the same Primer.

“From today, children all over the lands inhabited by Albanians will learn the 36 letters of the Albanian alphabet with the same Primer,” wrote Kurti on Facebook.

The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, also congratulated the unified primer, which he said was the will of the two governments.

“Happy first unified Children’s primer, created by the union of the will of the governments of Albania and Kosovo, for all Albanian children wherever they are,” Rama wrote on Facebook.

In Kosovo, Minister of Education Nagavci announced that the Children’s Primer has been distributed in all municipalities.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education in Albania, Evis Kushi, said on August 29 that they have started training teachers in use of the common Primer.

“We couldn’t start better than with the first training of teachers for the Unique Common Children’s Primer, which is ready, and which this September will be in the hands of every child,” Kushi said.

The Ministry of Education in Kosovo has allocated 300,000 euros for the purchase of 26,000 Children’s Primers this year.

The initiative to create a joint primer for Kosovo and Albania was launched in 2012, by then prime ministers Sali Berisha and Hashim Thaçi. Its existence had to wait another decade.

Under the agreed initiative, the unified book will be used in all schools where Albanian is taught.

Although the new school year has started in Kosovo, most schools on Thursday did not have classes, due to the strike by members of the teaching union. A strike in the public sector started on August 25, demanding an increase in salaries.