Janevska to first-graders: Besides knowledge, ask for a brother or sister

On the first school day, Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska, at Primary School "Aco Shopov" in Radishani, Butel municipality, told first-graders not only to strive for knowledge but also to think about increasing their families in the future — to "ask for a brother or sister." She connected this appeal with the need to raise awareness about human capital and the impact of demographics on schools.

Drop in the number of first-graders and temporary school closures

Janevska stated that as of this September there are 3,000 fewer first-graders at the state level and that 26 schools in rural areas are temporarily closed, which, according to her, reflects the long-term demographic decline.

"If we continue like this, we will constantly be closing schools. Hence, perhaps a message to the first-graders: besides asking to gain knowledge, maybe they should ask to gain a brother or sister so that these temporarily closed schools can be reopened in the future. The population should become aware of how important human capital is, primarily for themselves and their lives and, of course, for their country," Janevska said during her visit to the school in Radishani.

In response to a journalist's question about the reduced number of first-graders by almost 3,000 compared with last year at the state level, Janevska, earlier speaking from Primary School "Kiro Gligorov," replied that "demography is a special science and many things need to be done in that direction," and added that measures have been introduced in education to improve learning conditions.

The minister also recalled that two years ago three picture books for first to third grade were produced under the title "Me, Mom, Dad, Dada and Bato" and expressed hope that schools are using them. She emphasized that the state is investing in infrastructure, technology and new teaching aids to make life easier for children in North Macedonia.

"Everything we do is very serious – infrastructure, technology, new curricula, new teaching aids, textbooks are regularly supplied. All with the aim of making life more pleasant for children in North Macedonia. And when children are doing well, their parents will, I assume, want to stay here and will be encouraged to have more children," the minister said.

Janevska also addressed the pupils: "Insults and violence are not strength, they are a sign of weakness."

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, at the inauguration of the extension of Primary School "Aco Shopov" in Butel, said that the decline in the number of pupils is primarily a demographic problem and that resolving it requires a return to traditional family values from the earliest age. He noted that in 2025, 15,650 children were born, which is 7,000 to 8,000 fewer compared to the period seven to eight years ago, and that this directly reflects the reduction in the number of class groups and schools.

"We tried from the earliest years, for the youngest, through a reader 'Me, Mom and Dad, Dada and Bato,' translated into Macedonian, Albanian and other languages, to be distributed in schools where instruction is conducted in that language so that from the youngest age first-graders understand what a family is. That family is not 'me, mom and dad,' but family is 'me, mom and dad, dada and bato.' That is family," Mickoski added, also calling on emigrants to return and help build life in their homeland.

Photo: press material from the event