North Macedonia Education Minister Janevska Calls for School Network Optimisation as Student Numbers Drop 17,000

Education Minister Vesna Janevska told parliament that during the seven‑year rule of the LSDM and BDI coalitions the number of pupils in North Macedonia fell by 17,000. She said the decline makes it necessary to optimise the school network, noting many rural schools have only two or three students and should be merged with larger nearby schools to improve educational quality.

Janevska assured that no teacher will lose their job, adding that teachers can compensate missing hours through extra work with talented or lagging pupils and through additional curricular activities. She highlighted that Macedonian pupils attend 6,816 school hours by age 14, well below the OECD average of 7,775, and that the government is working to raise this level to improve future PISA performance.

When asked about the unfinished primary school in Sellcë, Tetovo, Janevska explained that the building was started under a previous government but lacked funding for the façade, external space, and a retaining wall. She pledged that the current administration will complete the project to avoid wasted investment, citing similar delays at FINKI and the Faculty of Physical Education.