The Albanian education system, including pre-university and higher education is based on the principles of inclusiveness and lifelong learning. Its  main principles include:

• Ensuring quality, comprehensive and equal pre–university education that creates conditions for all students, without any distinction, to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and values ​​in accordance with the requirements of a democratic society, to be able to face in a constructive way with life's challenges, as well as to contribute to the building of personal and social well-being.

• Establishing an effective and efficient education system at all levels, connected to functional mechanisms for ensuring security, transparency and accountability.

• Guaranteeing comprehensive higher education of registered standards, integrity of transparency and promoting economic and social science of the country.

Fundamental principles of national education system in the Republic of Albania are predicted  in the Constitution of the Republic of Albania. It states that everyone has the right to access education and basic education is mandatory for all. It also guarantees in principle the autonomy of higher education institutions (HEIs).

Pre university education is regulated by the Law on pre-university education and its subsequent amendments  and by the  new "Strategy on Education 2021-2026". In terms of principles the aims of the strategy on inclusive education and on providing quality education for all levels of pre-university education and for all students in respective age without any discrimination of any kind constitute the fundamental principles in this area. Key objectives in the strategy that concern pre-university education include:

• Reducing school dropout
• Reduction of collective classes
• Increase of participation of students in preparatory classes
• Creation and management of a system for Education management (SMIP)
• Increasing the presence of assistant teachers and psychologists in schools
• Improving teachers' training and career advancement

The Ministry of Education and Sport follows and monitors the implementation of the"Strategy on Education 2021-2026" and its action plan in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders.The Strategy reflects all challenges in the area of education conform the vision and its three objectives. For each objectives measures and indicators are provided. The monitoring of the strategy is done in six month periods. 

The VET system is regulated by the law on VET and its subsequent amendments as well as by the “National Strategy for Employment and Skills 2023- 2030”.

Higher education is ruled by the recently approved Law on higher education. Besides guarantees in constitution in relation to autonomy the law grants for the following forms of autonomy of higher education institutions: financial autonomy, autonomy to conduct research, autonomy to generate incomes from services rendered to third parties and academic autonomy. One of the quality elements of higher education institutions which is enshrined also in the strategy on education as well as in strategies of different Higher Education institutions is the internationalization of higher education and interaction with Higher Education Area (EHEA) and European Research Area (ERA).