Tetovo, 9 November 2025 (MIA) – Tetovo is hosting on Sunday a panel discussion focused on how grading in education has changed across generations, what is the real meaning of student achievement today, and how teachers recognize the effort and progress of students in the modern context.

This is the third panel discussion as part of the national campaign "Magic is Knowledge" implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science, to raise public awareness about the importance of knowledge and the irreplaceable role of teachers in the society.  

Education Minister Vesna Janevska told reporters ahead of the panel that the Ministry's campaign continues with the aim of hearing the opinions of teachers.

"We should discuss with them, hear them tell us what they think is good or not, so that we can build better educational policies. Today, the Municipality of Tetovo hosts a panel on the topic of changes in teaching and grading in education over the past and today. The changes are significant, there are changes in methodology, in different areas, in technology. But the constant is the teacher - the key link in the education system, and without the teachers there can be no improvement in the quality of the education in our country," Janevska said. 

She noted that in the past, the teaching profession has been devalued "not only by the government, but also by numerous pressures that teachers suffer from parents, from various powerful people and from other elements in society".

"That must change, and it can be changed by freeing teachers from pressures. That is the responsibility of parents and other stakeholders, while the state needs to take other measures that will motivate teachers and allow them freedom, allow them to work in the way they think is best and what they are trained for, changing part of the methodology according to their own vision for teaching children, and even introducing individual education for certain groups of children," Janevska pointed out.

The Minister noted that the state has an obligation to do so and therefore, she added, a set of measures is underway to improve the standard of teachers, increasing their wages, investing EUR 67,000,000 in infrastructure and relieving teachers of administrative obligations.

"It is very important that we continued with teacher training and since I took office, we have invested around 700,000 in training and additional activities. We continue, as before, to work on improving the importance of teachers, but also knowledge in the future in order to achieve what is our goal - better quality in education," Janevska pointed out.

Tetovo medical high school "Nikola Stein" is hosting Sunday's panel. Mayor Bilal Kasami told reporters that investment in education is investment in the future.

"This is an important message for everyone, the teachers, all children, students, it is very important for us that they have the best conditions for learning, not only in terms of building new schools, new facilities, but also in investing in our teachers, and thus in our children. By investing in the educational process, we invest in the future. That is why, through such activities, such panel discussions, we try to motivate students in schools and teachers that every student is important," said the Mayor of Tetovo.

Head of the Bureau for Development of Education, Milka Trimchevska, pointed out at the panel that the magic behind students' achievements always begins with the teacher, and the Bureau, she added, "is here to support this magic through continuous professional development and mentoring support for teachers."

Teacher and assistant principal at the Tetovo primary school "Bratstvo - Migjeni", Daniela Apostolovska, teacher and principal at the Tetovo primary school "Cyril and Methodius", Sihana Kaba Kasami, and general practitioner and professor at the Tetovo medical high school "Nikola Stein", Salih Mislimi, also shared their views at the panel. 

According to the Ministry of Education and Science, they used personal examples to draw a parallel between the time when students learned from books and today, when in certain situations teaching and learning is done through digital devices.

"They agreed that technology can support learning, but it cannot replace teachers. They said that behind every A-grade there is a story of hard work, encouragement and trust that true achievement happens when a student wants to learn, while the teacher is the one who sparks curiosity. They were unanimous that technology can help, but only a person can inspire. Today's panel discussion reminded that the real magic of education is not in the speed of access to information, but in the ability to understand, feel and apply knowledge. Although times are changing, teachers remain the ones who turn curiosity into wisdom, and the A-grade into something much more than a mark," reads the press release. 

The national campaign "Magic is Knowledge" was launched on World Teachers' Day - October 5, to raise public awareness about the importance of knowledge and the irreplaceable role of teachers in the society. 

Photo: Education Ministry / MIA