Skopje, 30 May 2023 (MIA) – The Ministry is working to boost the quality of the educational process on all levels, basing its policies on strategic documents and legislation adopted in an inclusive process, with the inclusion of all affected parties, said Minister of Education and Science Jeton Shaqiri in his address at the bilateral screening on Chapter 26 – Education and Culture held Tuesday in Brussels, according to a press release from the Ministry of Education and Science.

According to the Education Minister, North Macedonia complies with the EU Council’s recommendations related to pre-school, school, trade school, higher education and the education for adults, youth volunteering and mobility. The national institutions in the field of education, said the Minister, are showing greater maturity in the interinstitutional cooperation and coordination.

At the meeting, Shaqiri said that the right to education is constitutionally guaranteed and available to everyone, under equal conditions. On the basis of the 2018-2025 Education Strategy, he said, a thorough reform in primary education is currently underway. The reform is being implemented in stages and through new educational programs and materials it aims to encourage creativity, critical thinking and innovativeness.

In secondary education, said Shaqiri, the focus is on learning through work, i.e., dual education, which enables quality practical skills, thereby creating more opportunities for fast employment of primary school students, but also for a successful higher education. 

“Our vision is to provide a comprehensive, inclusive and integrated education, focused on the students – children, youth and adults, with modern programs that enable future generations to gain knowledge, skills and competencies in line with the needs of the democratic, multicultural society, the labor market and the new challenges in the global scientific and technological environment,” said Shaqiri.

In the press release, the Ministry of Education and Science said the country was commended for the reform in primary education and the significant progress in digitization, as well as in training teachers for the new educational programs.

“The progress of girls’ participation in STEM was welcomed and expectations that the positive processes will continue were voiced,” said the Ministry of Education in the press release.

Photo: Ministry of Education