Skopje, 8 August 2024 (MIA) - Minister of Education and Science, Vesna Janevska, said on Thursday that textbooks will be provided for all first through ninth grade subjects, except foreign language subjects. She added that hundreds of thousands of textbooks are currently being printed, some have been distributed, and others will be distributed soon once they are finished printing, and also textbooks for foreign language subjects will be provided as of next year. 

"Schools will have textbooks for all grades. I stress, as many years before, unfortunately, not by my fault, because there are still some undergoing procedures, there will be no textbooks for foreign language subjects. However, textbooks for those subjects will be provided next year, and the textbooks for the languages of the communities will be published on the website of the Bureau for Development of Education, but will not be printed; because languages are in question, using those materials teachers will be able to teach students," Janevska told reporters. 

She confirmed that the textbooks for seventh grade will be printed in accordance with the old curricula. 

"Yes, the textbooks for seventh grade are printed based on the old curricula because the new curricula are still up for public debate, that is the textbooks for seventh and eighth grade. Due to great dissatisfaction from all stakeholders in education, we put it up for a public debate so that we can apply the remarks coming not only from teachers, but parents as well, in order to make the curricula more acceptable for students, and teachers as well, since they are the ones teaching the students," the Minister noted.

When the public debate is over, she added, the Bureau for Development of Education will begin preparing the corrected new curricula. 

"The corrected curricula from the new concept, as we promised, with the most important part being the separation of the subjects regarding which there was heated discussion about and an explicit request that they should be separated and that would be done," Janevska said.

In response to a question regarding textbooks for vocational secondary education, she said that the entire first-year edition is in print and all approved second-year textbooks.

"The process hasn't been completed for the second, third and fourth years, but, the process will intensify and as the textbooks are approved, they will go in print throughout the year. We don't have to wait, because we have a framework agreement with the printing shop, and if it's finished we can immediately announce a new tender and start preparing the textbooks for next year," Janevska noted. ssh/nn/

Photo: MIA archive