Lukarevska questions Minister Janevska over Kiro Gligorov pupils learning online

At a parliamentary question session today, SDSM MP Sanja Lukarevska confronted Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska over why hundreds of pupils at the Kiro Gligorov Primary School in the Centar municipality of Skopje were not attending lessons on-site and why the school still resembled a construction site just before September 1.

Fourth- through ninth-grade pupils at the school have been temporarily following classes online since September 1; parents say they were informed about the switch on August 31. The school, which is the newest in the country and opened for use in 2019, is still undergoing building work to add six classrooms within the existing footprint.

Parliamentary exchange

According to Lukarevska, the construction works are an investment by the Ministry of Education and Science. During the session she directly challenged the minister and cited the timing of the building contract.

"The contract was signed in February, and you wake up in August? Who will take responsibility that the Law on Primary Education was violated? After recommending that children learn English from series, you said first-graders should look for siblings, then you said about 100 schools are closed, and on July 20 you recommended converting them into nursing homes. Everyone is puzzled, Minister. You are taking decisions to close schools, you cannot foresee timely construction at Kiro Gligorov Primary School? Are you still standing by your statement that schools should become nursing homes?" Lukarevska asked.

Lukarevska also addressed the minister with an additional question during the session: "WHERE DO YOU GET TO KNOW WHETHER I AM COMMUNICATING WITH THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL 'KIRO GLIGOROV'?" The record provided does not include the minister's reply to these questions.

Photo: СДК.МК)