Parents report fourth-graders receiving damaged textbooks
Families say some Macedonian and math textbooks are falling apart or missing pages, forcing extra photocopying or printing costs.
Published: 02 September 2026 11:22 — Classes have resumed, and with them complaints from parents whose children in fourth grade and above are receiving used rather than new textbooks.
Parents of pupils who are now in fourth grade report that some books are badly worn and in some cases impossible to use. Photographs sent by readers show one pupil at a Skopje school who received a Macedonian language textbook in which pages are loose, glued and falling out, and another pupil who got a mathematics book with missing pages.
Parents say the condition creates extra costs
Parents say the damaged books prevent normal study and force families to find workarounds. "Is this how a Macedonian language textbook should look?" asked a parent who sent the pictures. Many families say they will need to photocopy pages or download and print materials themselves, creating additional expense.
Readers supplied the images that document the condition of the textbooks. The complaints concern pupils from fourth grade upward who, instead of receiving newly printed books, are inheriting copies used by previous generations.
The issue has prompted anger among parents who demand clearer guarantees that school materials will be usable at the start of the school year. So far there is no information in the material provided about any response from school authorities.
Photo: press material from the event
