Janevska: 26 rural schools with no first-graders expected to close

School textbooks have already been distributed and are now in schools, said Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska, one week before the start of the 2026/2027 school year. According to her, this year the distribution process was completed for the first time well before classes began.

Asked whether she expected complaints about damaged textbooks after September 1, Janevska said she could not rule out such a possibility, but believed the complaints would be minimal and limited to isolated cases.

The minister said that, following preparations carried out online, schools had taken the reporting of textbook needs and requests to replace damaged materials more seriously. She added that errors in this process had been reduced over the past three school years.

Janevska explained that the electronic system had remained open for an extended period so that the process could be completed properly. According to her, everyone who had submitted requests would receive the textbooks they had requested, while responsibility for those who had not submitted requests lay with them. The minister stressed that a stable system had been in place for three years, guaranteeing a continuous supply of school textbooks.

About 14,500 first-graders have enrolled for the 2026/2027 school year. However, this figure is not considered final, as the enrollment of children who missed the deadline will continue until the end of September.

Speaking about reorganizing the school network and moving to single-shift schooling, the minister said that 26 rural schools were expected to close naturally this year. No first-graders had enrolled in these institutions, while, according to her, they “supposedly teach” between five and eight children.

Janevska said that there are currently about 200 fewer classes in primary education, while the number in secondary education has fallen by 100 classes. She explained that the aim was to provide students with better opportunities for socialization and quality education, rather than leaving them isolated in rural settings where the small number of students and stereotypes affect the quality of teaching. This is particularly important for combined classes, in which, within the limits permitted by law, students from three different grades are taught together.

According to the minister, teaching in combined classes will continue only when it is necessary. This will be the case when a satellite or rural school is more than 15-20 kilometers from the nearest central school.

When a central school has 200 children and another school with 18 students is located just 2.5 kilometers away, Janevska considers it unjustifiable to keep these children isolated. In such cases, she said, the students should be transferred to the other school.

The minister stressed that no teacher with a permanent contract had been dismissed so far. She added that there was a shortage of teachers in several municipalities in Skopje, including Aerodrom, and that several hires were expected.

Outside Skopje, according to Janevska, the number of teachers is sufficient. For this reason, the planned measure is to extend the time students spend at school through all-day instruction. In a class with, for example, 20 children, there would be no need for 30 teachers; two classroom teachers would work with them, one during the first half of the day and the other during the second half, supervising them and conducting lessons until 4:00 p.m.

Janevska said this would allow parents to remain free and would prevent grandparents from influencing the children, even though they act with the intention of doing what is best for them. She said that children around the world are increasingly starting kindergarten and school at an earlier age, and that the country should follow this trend. Otherwise, she added, adults, students and people entering the labor market would not be competitive anywhere except in Macedonia.