Skopje, 31 August 2022 (MIA) – We are far more prepared for the start of this school year than previous ones, the students will have textbooks and additional materials from day one. I call upon the principals to collect them from the municipalities, said Minister of Education and Science Jeton Shaqiri on Wednesday. At a press conference that focused on the work of the Ministry since he was appointed as minister, Shaqiri said that the new curriculums for the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade were intensely worked on, and the Bureau for the Development of Education made fun, interactive content, as well as making new textbooks, which are currently in different approval phases, and the students will receive appropriate study materials for the first term until they are finalized. Shaqiri reiterated that a historic pay rise of 15% for teachers was achieved with the teachers' trade union SONK. New collective agreements for elementary and high schools will be defined and signed with the Union, and they will be included in policy dialogues focused on the improvement of education quality. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Shaqiri said that the number of educational assistants working with students with atypical development, funded from the Ministry's budget, has increased drastically, from 500 last year to 720 this year. He also pointed out the increased number of dual grades for the improvement of vocational high school education, and that there are now 200 encompassing 2700 pupils. 250 companies were involved last year, a number that has increased to 400 this year. Shaqiri said that the budget for capital investments in education has exceeded MKD 1 billion for the second year in a row, 2.5x more than previous years, as well as announcing that school facilities in multiple municipalities were reconstructed over the summer and that new schools are being built. He also touched upon the different categories of student scholarships that improve student standard, and a budget of MKD 218 million will be used to fund projects by public scientific institutions and equipping laboratories. dk/ba/