Skopje, 9 August 2024 (MIA) - Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska reiterated Friday that textbooks will be provided for all subjects, except foreign languages, some of which have not been approved by the Bureau for Development of Education due to a lack of quality. Foreign language textbooks will be provided for all students as of next year, Janevska said in answer to media questions while inspecting rehabilitation works on a student dormitory in Skopje.

“There won’t be textbooks for foreign languages – English, German, French, Italian. I would also like to stress that most textbooks for language and cultures of the ethnic communities weren’t approved by the Bureau due to a lack of quality. For example, the proposed textbooks repeat the material that children learn in their own, native tongue, for example the definition of a noun, pronoun... When the languages of the ethnic communities are being learned, we need to focus on the communicative aspect,” Janevska said.

The approved textbooks for the languages and cultures of the ethnic communities and additional studying materials will be published on the Bureau’s website, the Minister said.

“The point is that for seven years our students didn’t have textbooks for foreign languages, nor textbooks for the languages and cultures of the ethnic communities. Next year they will have all these textbooks,” Janevska added, stressing that every schoolchild will have a textbook in the 2025/26 school year.

On Friday, the Education Minister inspected rehabilitation works on the “Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu" state student dormitory in Skopje, noting that the process is proceeding as planned and is expected to finish in a year and a half. Works are also expected to begin on the “Stiv Naumov” student dormitory in Avtokomanda. Janevska said despite having two student dormitories less this year, the Ministry will try to house all university students who meet the requirements. 

Photo: MIA Archive