Number of first-graders in Stip primary schools falls — 27 fewer than last year

The number of children starting first grade in Stip's primary schools continues to shrink: authorities expect 336 new first-graders this year, 27 fewer than last year.

Demographic decline and school optimisation

Stip, once the education centre of the Eastern region with more than 10,000 pupils across primary and secondary levels more than a decade ago, now counts a combined total of 5,569 primary and secondary students this school year. Local school officials say the drop in first-grade intake has been steady for years, usually by one or two classes annually.

The nine-year school "Goce Delchev" has entered an optimisation process: it will not accept first-graders this year and is planned to be phased out gradually over the next five years. The pupils who would otherwise enrol there will be registered at other nearby schools in Stip.

Population loss in the eastern region has contributed to the falling school rolls. According to data from a regional publication of the State Statistical Office published last year, in the Eastern region in 2024 there were more deaths than births: 936 newborns and 1,974 deaths, leaving a natural decrease of 1,038 for 2024.

The Ministry of Education and Science reports that four branch (rural) schools in the Delchevo area will close this year as part of the optimisation measures, and that the process affects multiple classes in both branch and main primary schools across the region.

Local educators and municipal officials say there are currently no plans for immediate closures of main schools inside Stip town, but the ongoing demographic trends and optimisation measures are reshaping enrolment patterns citywide.

By Viktorija Jovanova

Photo: press material from the event