SDSM: A witch-hunt is being carried out against school directors who are not party loyalists

The opposition SDSM accused that two inspectors from the State Education Inspectorate are carrying out a witch-hunt against school directors who are not party loyalists, stating that extraordinary inspection checks following complaints with similar or identical content are being used as pressure for resignations.

At the press conference the party named the inspectors Mirjana Naskovska and Toni Iliev and pointed out that these actions are taking place, among other places, at SUGS "Panche Arsovski" in Skopje. According to SDSM, some of the directors were forced to step down before the end of their mandates.

Claims of political purpose and personnel rewards

Jovanche Manaskov of the Commission for Education raised the question whether behind the inspection activities there is a broader political operation by Mickoski's authorities to purge staff and install party‑loyal directors. He also said that the same two inspectors appear in almost all extraordinary inspections, and at the same time, as he said, had been promoted or rewarded.

"Is Mickoski's authority carrying out a political operation to purge staff, remove unsuitable directors and install party loyalists? Has the inspection oversight been turned into a mechanism for replacing unsuitable directors? Is that why these two inspectors appear in almost all inspection checks, while at the same time being promoted or rewarded? Clearly Naskovska and Iliev are 'trusted inspectors' of VMRO, for a special purpose. Inspectors who are used for a predetermined political task," said Jovanche Manaskov at the press conference.

SDSM pointed out that some of the dismissal decisions were challenged before secondary bodies, and there are cases in which the Administrative Court intervened and returned the procedure for reconsideration; in some procedures the court issued meritorious decisions in favor of dismissed directors.

The party emphasized that it is not against inspection oversight as an instrument, but against its alleged misuse for revenge and for appointing party‑loyal directors. SDSM requested a review of the conduct of the education inspectors, the criteria for their promotions and additional allowances, the method of case distribution and the reports of pressure on directors.

Photo: SDSM