Janevska: Optimizing the school network will not lead to teachers losing their jobs

Education and Science Minister Vesna Janevska said in Parliament, during a parliamentary question on optimizing the school network, that this process will not mean layoffs for teachers. According to her, this is a step that should have been taken much earlier, but which, as she put it, the SDSM government did not have the courage to carry out.

She explained that the laws provide solutions for teachers who may be left without students, giving them the opportunity, with their consent, to work as educational assistants for a one-year period. Janevska underlined that no action will be taken by force, but only in a transparent manner, with the approval of the educational staff and in cooperation with the municipalities, UNICEF, and the World Bank.

Presenting the reasons for this process, Janevska said that two-thirds of all school facilities in Macedonia are regional schools, while only 12% of the total number of students attend classes in them. She added that in around 100 school facilities, fewer than 5 children are studying.

According to her, these schools should be integrated into larger institutions so that students have more opportunities for socialization and education in better conditions. Janevska stressed that the best interest of children is the main reason for optimizing the school network, while as a secondary benefit she mentioned savings in municipal funds, which could then be invested in infrastructure.

She also presented data showing that over the past 20 years, the number of students has decreased by 28%, while the number of teachers has increased by 46%. As a result, the national average has fallen from 18 students per teacher to 11.4 students per teacher, compared with the OECD average of 15 students per teacher.