North Macedonia education minister addresses declining student enrollment

North Macedonia’s Minister of Education and Science, Vesna Janevska, has addressed concerns regarding declining student numbers and the impact of demographic shifts on the national school system. Janevska clarified that the number of students enrolling in first grade this year is approximately 1,500 fewer than last year, correcting a previous, more alarming estimate of 4,900 fewer students. She attributed the discrepancy to delays in schools updating the electronic registry.

To combat the effects of a shrinking student population caused by low birth rates and emigration, the Ministry plans to optimize the school network. Janevska assured that these changes will not lead to teacher unemployment. Instead, the government intends to transition toward single-shift and full-day schooling models. Under this structure, teachers with reduced regular teaching hours would be reassigned to supplementary instruction, elective content, extracurricular activities, or specialized support for talented and struggling students.