Two first‑grade classes merged into one 36‑pupil group at Hrom primary school

Two first-grade classes at Dimitar Pop-Georgiev Berovski primary school in the Hrom neighbourhood of Skopje were merged after regular lessons into a single extended-day group of more than 30 pupils, parents say. They complain the move was made because the school lacks sufficient teaching staff and that one teacher is now responsible for the combined group.

Parents of pupils from classes 1‑g and 1‑d say the merged group now counts 36 pupils, a number they argue violates the legal limit. They sent written requests to the school principal, Gjorche Petrov Mayor Aleksandar Stojkovski, the municipality’s Education Sector and the Ministry of Education asking for additional teachers and for the two first-grade classes to be separated as originally allocated.

Parents cite the law; municipality says full-day groups are not legally limited

“In May, when we enrolled the children in school, we stated that they would attend full-day classes. But, although the school knew how many first-graders there would be this year, teaching staff was not provided and now two parallel classes have been merged into one. By what criterion were precisely these two parallel classes merged into one of 36 pupils? According to Article 53, paragraph 4 of the Law on Primary Education, the number of pupils in one class should be from 20 to 30 children. In our school the class is composed of 36 pupils, which represents a direct violation of this legal provision. We believe that one teacher is insufficient for effective and safe work with a group of 36 pupils. This is especially critical for first grade pupils who require increased supervision and individual support in adapting to the school environment,” say the parents of first-graders from Dimitar Pop-Georgiev Berovski primary school.

The Education Sector of Gjorche Petrov Municipality replied that Article 53 cited by the parents applies to the number of pupils in a class but not to the extended-day stay, and that the law does not set a limit for pupils in extended-day programmes. The municipality said that a later check showed the number had fallen from 36 to 34 pupils and that the number of children in full-day attendance is expected to decline.

The Ministry of Education told reporters that the matter falls within the competence of the school management and the municipality where the school is located. The ministry provided the same reply that the municipality had sent to the parents.

Residents and parents in Hrom say the neighbourhood has changed substantially over the past 15 years, with many former houses replaced by apartment blocks and local infrastructure lagging behind population growth. Parents point out that the school was built on a small plot, lacks a proper yard and sports hall, and that streets and pavements in the area are congested — conditions that, they argue, make the current situation at the school more problematic.

Photo: SDK.MK)