Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska said today that school textbooks have already been distributed to schools and that students will have them available. She stressed that, for the first time, the distribution process was completed much earlier, before the start of the 2026/2027 school year, which begins in one week.
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Asked by journalists whether she expects complaints about damaged textbooks after September 1, Janevska said such a possibility could not be ruled out. However, she expressed confidence that complaints would be minimal and would concern isolated cases.
According to the minister, following preparations carried out online, schools took the process of determining the number of textbooks they needed and replacing damaged materials more seriously. She assessed that shortcomings in this process had been reduced over the past three school years.
Janevska explained that the electronic system remained open for an extended period precisely to ensure the procedures were properly completed. “Everyone who submitted a request will receive, and is receiving, the requested quantity. For those who did not submit a request, the responsibility lies with them. The ministry will no longer be responsible for needs that were not reported, since a stable system has been in place for three years, guaranteeing a continuous supply of school textbooks,” she said.
Approximately 14,500 first-grade students have been enrolled for the 2026/2027 school year. The minister explained that this figure is not final, as the enrollment of children who were unable to meet the deadline will continue until the end of September.
Speaking about optimizing the school network as part of the transition to single-shift education, Janevska said that 26 rural schools are expected to close naturally this year. No first-grade students have been enrolled at these institutions and, according to her, between five and eight children are “supposedly studying” there.
The minister also announced that the number of classes has currently been reduced by around 200 in primary education and by 100 in secondary education. She emphasized that the change is intended to give students more opportunities for socialization and a higher-quality education, rather than leaving them isolated in certain rural settings where different principles and stereotypes may prevail. Janevska said that when student numbers are low, the quality of teaching becomes more difficult to maintain, particularly in combined classes where children from three different grades study together, as permitted by law.
She added that teaching in combined classes would take place only when necessary. This exception will apply when a satellite or rural school is located more than 15–20 kilometers from the nearest central school.
