Political parties criticise Vesna Janevska after she told first-graders to ask for “a brother or a sister”

Political parties in North Macedonia sharply criticised Education and Science Minister Vesna Janevska after she addressed first-graders on the first day of school and told them to ask for “a brother or a sister.” The remark reignited an already intense public debate over falling pupil numbers and the wider demographic decline.

Janevska made the comment during a visit to Aco Shopov Primary School in Radishani (Butel municipality), where she also spoke about the need for pupils to gain knowledge and about broader concerns for the country’s human capital. She later said her intention was to highlight the demographic drop and not to offend anyone.

Parties demand concrete measures, not appeals

Leftist party Levica rejected the minister’s appeal as insufficient and proposed a concrete economic incentive: the state should take on 20 percent of the remaining housing loan for every newborn or adopted child in a family. MP Amar Mecinovic framed the proposal in contrast to Janevska’s message: “Левица предлага простување на дел од кредитите во семејствата по основ на секое новородено или посвоено дете. За секое новородено или посвоено дете државата би презела 20 отсто од преостанатиот станбен кредит. За разлика од министерката Весна Јаневска, ние предлагаме 20 отсто за братче и 20 отсто за сестриче,” said Mecinovic.

The Social Democratic Union, SDSM, described the start of the school year as the bleakest in recent memory and listed hard figures to underline the scale of the problem: “Имаме 3.000 помалку првачиња, 148 празни училишта, 433 паралелки помалку и затворање на 26 подрачни училишта. Никогаш сликата на почетокот на учебната година не била потажна,” the party said, pointing to emigration, economic hardship and stalled EU integration as contributing causes.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) called the minister’s words “shameful and without an ounce of empathy,” arguing that addressing six-year-olds with such a suggestion ignored the realities of single-parent families, divorce, infertility and financial hardship and asked for a public apology to parents and children offended by the remark.

Janevska defended herself, saying she “did not intend to offend anyone” and that the comment was meant to draw attention to what she described as an alarming demographic decline. She warned that if current trends continue “we will keep closing schools” and urged collective action to improve living conditions, reduce emigration and stabilise population trends. The Ministry’s figures show nearly 3,000 fewer first-graders this school year compared with last year, 148 empty school buildings and the temporary closure of 26 branch schools.

Photo: press material from the event