Skopje, 1 September 2022 (MIA) - Some 255,000 elementary and high school pupils got back to school Thursday for the 2022/2023 year, which starts without a mask mandate and anti-Covid protocols following two pandemic years. New curriculums have been prepared for first, second, fourth and fifth grade according to the elementary education concept, which has been implemented in stages since last year. It is planned to be completed in five years' time. Textbooks prepared according to the new curriculums are in various stages of approval. Instead teaching material will be handed out to first, second, fourth and fifth graders in the first semester. According to the Education Ministry, the free-of-charge materials are of good quality and creative. Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Education Minister Jeton Shaqiri said his ministry is far better prepared than the previous year, meaning there will be teaching materials for first, second, fourth and fifth grade and textbooks for all other grades in elementary and secondary school on the first day of school. Also, it has been announced that the September salary of teachers will see an increase by 15 percent according to the agreement between the Education Ministry and the teachers' union SONK made after their strike this past spring. After two school years during which classes were organized according to the COVID-19 epidemiological situation, the educational system this school year is faced with the challenges of the energy crisis. Namely, the government has advised state institutions to reduce electricity and heating consumption. Asked what is the plan about the heating of schools, Minister Shaqiri said that it is vital that they remained opened and that the central government and local authorities should cooperate to that end.