Primary and secondary schools across Macedonia will open their doors tomorrow, while September 1 will mark the first time around 14,500 first-graders take their seats in the classroom. They will encounter a new environment, new teachers and new classmates.
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The decline in student numbers is also expected to affect how classes are organized. During the 2026/2027 school year, around 200 fewer classes are expected to operate in primary education and 100 fewer in secondary education.
At the same time, it has been announced that 26 rural schools will close because no first-grade students have enrolled in any of them. Until now, some of these schools have had only five to eight students attending classes.
Final data on the number of primary and secondary school students who will return to class tomorrow have not yet been published. The latest complete figures from the State Statistical Office show that at the start of the 2025/2026 school year, regular primary education had 174,040 students, while secondary education had 67,540, for a total of 241,580 students.
One year earlier, 17,921 students were enrolled in first grade. Compared with that figure and the approximately 14,500 students expected to start first grade this year, the decline is considerable. However, the exact difference will be determined only after supplementary enrollment closes.
The Ministry of Education and Science says textbooks have been delivered to schools and are now available to students. In accordance with the academic calendars for public primary and secondary schools, classes begin on September 1.
On the occasion of the start of the new school year, drivers are advised to exercise particular caution near schools, pedestrian crossings and bus stops. Many more children are expected to be in these areas in the coming days.
