MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN ALBANIAN PRE-UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS: PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

In recent decades, demographic changes in Albania have significantly increased the cultural diversity of students in pre-university education, generating challenges related to the integration of minority students, the enhancement of teachers’ awareness of cultural and linguistic diversity, and the preservation of multicultural values in the context of globalization. This study focuses on Sustainable Development Goals 4, 10, and 17, examining how pre-university policies and curricula in Albania (National Education Strategy 2021–2026) promote inclusive education, the integration of minority students, and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity within the school environment. Guided by the hypothesis that, despite the formal inclusion of multicultural principles, practical implementation is constrained by insufficient specialized training, limited engagement of the school community, and weak institutional support, the study adopts a qualitative, analytical approach. Data were collected through document analysis, thematic coding, professional observation, and semi-structured interviews, triangulated to ensure credibility. The findings indicate that, although curricula emphasize coexistence and respect, practical implementation remains limited: only 23% of novice teachers feel prepared to manage cultural diversity, 62% have not received targeted training, and only 18% of school textbooks include elements of cultural identity. The study underscores the need for comprehensive professional development to support multilingualism as an integral component of national identity. Comparative evidence from Finland, Austria, and Croatia demonstrates that cultural inclusion functions as a quality indicator rather than merely an equality policy, making the Albanian case particularly relevant for understanding how small education systems respond to globalization through multilingual practices.