Macedonia Education Minister Vesna Janeska Announces 4,900 Fewer University Entrants

Education Minister Vesna Janeska told a press conference at the Ministry of Education and Science that September will see roughly 4,900 fewer first‑year university students than last year. She said the figure is provisional because a third enrollment round in August is still open, but the trend reflects a broader decline in secondary‑school graduates and a demographic squeeze.

Janeska also noted shortages in study programmes for mathematics, physics, geography and Macedonian language, while the labour market is well‑covered in fields such as informatics, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Based on a labour‑market analysis, the ministry introduced a modest quota restriction, reducing the number of admitted students in some programmes from 500 to 400.