Skopje, 6 June 2024 (MIA) — As of September, schoolchildren will be able to study Philosophy as an elective subject in fourth, fifth or sixth grade, according to the Philosophical Society of Macedonia.

Unlike the compulsory Philosophy course for high school seniors, the elective Philosophy for primary education will not review the history of philosophy or talk about abstract philosophical ideas.

Classes will be based on examples presented through stories, thought experiments and board games, with students discussing the eternal philosophical questions of justice, freedom, friendship, truth, and beauty, the Philosophical Society of Macedonia said.

According to them, Philosophy for children is taught in many primary schools in the world (in Austria since 1983, in France since 1996, in Canada since 2004, in Slovenia since 2006). Its introduction into early education was also recommended by UNESCO toward developing critical and creative thinking, democratic values ​​and skills for peaceful social dialogue.

The teaching materials have been developed as part of the Erasmus+ SOPHIE project, a collaboration between the Philosophical Society of Macedonia, the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius from Skopje, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, and the Slovenian Philosophical Society.

The Philosophical Society of Macedonia is a civil society organization dedicated to promoting philosophy and teaching philosophy in the Republic of North Macedonia at all educational levels. mr/