Butel primary school faces backlash over closing Albanian language class

Controversy has erupted in the Butel Municipality following the decision by the Petar Zdravkovski-Penko primary school to close an Albanian-language parallel class for first-grade students. School Director Mevlide Kryeziu stated the reorganization was due to an insufficient number of students residing within the municipality's territory, citing compliance with Ministry of Education and Science guidelines.

However, local political figures and parents have raised allegations of discrimination. Armend Murseli of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) and Deputy Dijana Toska noted that while Albanian classes were closed, Macedonian and Turkish language classes with fewer students remained active. There are also reports that Albanian children living on the border of the municipality are being denied entry because their addresses are registered in the neighboring Chair Municipality.

Political tensions are rising, with critics pointing to the director's previous political affiliations and alleged pressure from municipal leadership. While the school administration maintains the decision is administrative, opposition members are calling for an immediate review of registration criteria and the reinstatement of the Albanian-language class to protect constitutional educational rights.