Podgorica, 13 October 2021 (MIA) – Economic growth in the Western Balkans  and of all countries in the region cannot be accelerated without digital transformation, Minister of Education and Science said Wednesday after attending the Western Balkans Digital Summit in Podgorica. Speaking to MIA, Carovska said she shared her country’s positive experiences at the summit, adding that all participants had concluded that digital transformation was impossible without advancing education and without including digital processes in education and preparing young people for the digital world. “It’s very important to compare all policies in order to be almost identical or similar in all countries in the region allowing the implementation of these policies to be quicker and to catch up with the developed countries, which are deep into the digitization process,” she said. Education in North Macedonia, the Minister added, is already demonstrating initiatives for digitization. “All discussions about introducing digital literacy in elementary schools has been pointing out that the country in less than a year has gone further than the other countries and that we can share positive experiences,” Carovska told MIA in a statement. Commenting the Digital Summit, Minister Carovska said that all countries partaking in the discussions have been facing almost the same challenges North Macedonia is also facing. “It was a pleasure to see that we are already taking measures allowing us to soon catch up with the developed countries,” she stated. Asked about the course of the educational process during the 2021/2022 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Carovska said the epidemiological situation has transformed education into a modern process resilient to future possible shocks. The Minister recalled that blended learning was introduced in schools in the 2020/2021 school year. “This year, since we have more information about the pandemic and experience, the government had decided to reopen schools for in-person instructions… It is in the students’ highest interest to stay in schools, because they not only learn there, they also socialize, improve their mental health. I think schools should remain open” she told MIA, adding that the Education Ministry has prepared two more scenarios in case the epidemiological situation worsens. No internal transmission has been reported so far in schools. The percentage of confirmed COVID-19 cases daily ranges from 0.01 to 0.03. Earlier, it was reported that the COVID-19 screening of pupils will begin next week after a delay caused by the lengthy analysis of the scope of pupils in primary and secondary schools. https://youtu.be/1360L49GIZg