Skopje, 4 November 2025 (MIA) — The UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, in cooperation with the OECD and the European Commission, held Tuesday in Skopje a conference on improving regional education policies, with Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska delivering the opening remarks, the Ministry of Education and Science said in a press release.

In her remarks at the gathering, titled Regional Dialogue on Quality Education Policies, Minister Janevska said the Western Balkan countries would make better progress if they "think together and out loud about what education needs in each country."

"We are similar nations, with close customs, cultures and traditions — and this means similar education systems and challenges," Janevska said. 

"That is why we see common problems more easily and can faster find solutions that, with small adjustments, are applicable in our countries," she said. She noted that the government, formed 16 months ago, had launched a new education reform agenda.

"Previously, we saw many attempts, but little continuity," she said. "Ministers were replaced too quickly, with an average term in office of a year and a half, each with their own priorities and ideas. This time, considering how principled and determined this government is, I am confident the effort we have invested will produce results in the medium term."

According to the release, the gathering provided an opportunity for regional experts to exchange experiences and discuss practical ways to improve learning outcomes.

Janevska mentioned the country's noticeable drop in student learning outcomes according to the Program for International Student Assessment, a triennial survey by the OECD measuring the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science.

"Of course we are not satisfied with our PISA test scores. This does not mean that our students do not have the knowledge, but that we must better prepare them for the way their competencies are tested," Janevska said.

Speaking about the education reform, Janevska said education authorities were changing elementary and high school curricula, commissioning new textbooks and making investments in school science laboratory equipment. 

She also said the government promoted vocational education, gave raises to teachers and invested a record EUR 64 million in educational infrastructure in the past 16 months.

In addition, the education ministry drafted a National Declaration on Education to be adopted in Parliament to prevent setbacks in the education reform process, regardless of any political shifts, she said. mr/