North Macedonia education: Ethnic representation and textbook shortages spark controversy

The Alliance for Albanians (ASH) has raised concerns regarding the lack of ethnic Albanian representation in the selection of the 13 best teachers for the 2025/2026 school year. Despite the inclusion of educators from cities with large Albanian populations, such as Tetovo and Gostivari, none of the selected awardees are ethnic Albanians.

ASH characterized this absence as a “dangerous model of institutional exclusion” rather than an isolated incident, calling on the Ministry of Education and Science to release the selection criteria, candidate scores, and commission details. The party also urged Albanian political representatives within the government to address these recurring patterns of exclusion.

Separately, reports from vocational schools indicate ongoing issues with textbook shortages. Educators in specialized fields, such as medical subjects at the ‘Nace Bugjoni’ high school in Kumanovo, report that students lack appropriate professional texts for subjects like Pharmacology and Pediatrics. Teachers are reportedly forced to create their own scripts and presentations to compensate for the lack of unified educational materials.