North Macedonia rural schools close due to depopulation

Several rural schools in North Macedonia are closing due to a drastic decline in student enrollment caused by regional depopulation. In the Bogovinje Municipality, the ‘Abdyl Frashëri’ school in Sellcë e Keqe has been closed by the Ministry of Education because no students are registered in any grade. Similar trends are affecting Jellovjani, where only three students remain across all classes.

In the Struga region, the ‘Rexhep Fejza’ school in Xhepin is closing after 42 years of operation, with its remaining three students being transferred to Koroshishtë. Additionally, schools in the villages of Poum, Bogoicë, and Nerez are also facing closure. In Poum, a school that had been functioning since 1942 will cease operations, with students moving to Dellogozhdë.

Local education officials state that while these closures are emotionally difficult for local communities, they are necessary to improve educational quality and social interaction by consolidating students into larger, better-equipped central schools. The decline is also impacting larger central schools; for instance, one central school reported a drop from 550 students five years ago to 345 today.