North Macedonia education system optimization

North Macedonia’s Minister of Education and Science, Vesna Janevska, has announced several measures to optimize the national education system.

To align higher education with labor market demands, the government will reduce first-year university enrollment quotas by approximately 2,000 places. These cuts target fields with high unemployment, such as business administration, economics, law, and certain medical fields, while technical and engineering programs—including informatics, mechanical engineering, and construction—remain largely unchanged due to employability rates reaching between 98 and 99 percent.

This reform occurs amid a legislative deadlock in the Assembly regarding three laws on higher education and science. The laws are currently stalled due to opposition demands regarding the Badinter principle, though Janevska expressed hope that political issues would not prevent the passage of these reforms.

Additionally, the ministry plans to close approximately 20 regional schools due to declining student numbers. Janevska attributed this trend to decreasing birth rates, noting that some schools have as few as one student per class. The minister argued that larger group settings are essential for student socialization and skill development.

Regarding student infrastructure, two fully reconstructed dormitories in Skopje, ‘Stiv Naumov’ and ‘Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu’, are set to welcome students this academic year. The ‘Stiv Naumov’ dormitory will begin accepting residents on October 1. While monthly accommodation fees are increasing from 3,500 to approximately 6,000 denars, the state will continue to cover a significant portion of the costs.