Skopje, 6 July 2023 (MIA) – Ten municipalities in the country will be included in the pilot project for the optimization of the network of primary schools, i.e., rationalization and making use of the available educational resources. The goal of the project is to provide better conditions for education and human capacity building, which will together lead to a modernization of the educational system in line with global trends, these are the priorities of the Ministry of Education and Science, outlined by Minister Jeton Shaqiri at the ”Adequate use of School Resources for Better Quality Education” forum, organized by the Ministry, UNICEF and World Bank on Thursday.

The forum was aimed at exchanging opinions and experiences from the European practices that are set to contribute to a successful reorganization of the school network.

“Analyses show that we have an inefficient school network which has many schools with very little students, while on the other hand, in certain areas, there are overcrowded schools that face lack of space and staff. The municipalities are facing the challenge of old school buildings, which fail to meet the basic standards for education. In certain areas, we face the challenge of securing qualified staff, especially in rural areas. There are many reasons why we are determined to continue this process of optimizing the school network,” said Shaqiri at the opening of the forum.

The Minister stressed that the Government and the Ministry are investing in education, but it is necessary to make better and more efficient use of funds, especially in primary education. Which is why, in parallel with the optimization, a new formula for the allocation of budget funds is to be implemented.

Shaqiri said this would not be a quick and simple process, but it must happen in cooperation with the municipalities. He announced that the Ministry has prepared a draft of the new formula for allocation of subsidies for primary and secondary education, which he said he expects will be implemented as soon as possible.

UNICEF Representative Patrizia DiGiovanni said North Macedonia is facing an educational crisis, highlighting that over half of students in the country fail to meet the basic standards in terms of reading ability, mathematics and natural sciences. She noted that investments in education are a prerequisite for its quality and highlighted that there is a serious lack of finance and investments.

“It’s not enough to have more funds, but also to make better use of the funds we already have. We have to make very difficult decisions on how investments in human capital are made. More resources should be focused on improving the learning outcomes and the best way to achieve them,” said DiGiovanni.

At the forum, Bojana Naceva, Senior Education Specialist at World Bank – North Macedonia, said that inefficient use of resources is a challenge for the country.

“The majority of expenditures in education are for wages, which reduces the room for investments in other important segments that are directly related to the quality of education, such as the professional development of teachers, capital investments and the improvement of the educational environment in schools,” said Naceva.

Photo: MIA