Skopje, 5 July 2024 (MIA) - Starting September 1, seventh-grade students will use last year's textbooks because no new textbooks have been printed, as per the new curricula from the Plan for Primary Education. The Bureau for the Development of Education will provide additional materials for the omitted topics from the old textbooks, which are supposed to be studied.

The Ministry of Education and Science said on Friday that after several days of talks with the Bureau for the Development of Education a temporary solution was found as to no interrupt the education process of seventh-grade students, who will receive new textbooks during the 2025-2026 academic year.

"For this purpose a decision was made to postpone the implementation of the new Plan for primary education, in the seventh, eight, and ninth grades. The challenge with the new generation of seventh-grade students occurred because no new textbooks were printed, in accordance with the new curricula and plan. Although the previous leadership publicly stated that all textbooks were prepared and being printed, in reality not a single one was, most of them have not even been developed, nor approved," the Ministry of Education and Science said in a press release.

In the press release, the Ministry thanked Bureau Director Abdulfeta Fetai and everyone else who took part in the process for finding solutions, adding that they ‘look forward to continuing the good cooperation in the interest of the students and the quality of their education.’

"New textbooks for seventh-grade students will be available during the 2025-2026 academic year. If the Plan for Primary Education, which is under revision, is amended according to the opinions of teachers and other stakeholders in the educational process, new curricula and textbooks will be prepared for the other grades as well," the press release reads. ssh/sk/

Photo: MIA archive