Education Ministry Mila Carovska and her deputy Arafat Shabani took part on Friday in a debate on proposed elementary education reforms with concept developers and representatives of the Bureau for Development of Education, organized by the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU), the Ministry of Education and Science said in a press release.

Stakeholders discussed during the meeting, the press release read, notes on the concept, implementation of reforms and upcoming teachers’ trainings.

“Opinions of social studies experts are very important for the integration of subjects, set to make the learning process more efficient and improve results. We received a lot of constructive comments, especially from teachers, as well as from other stakeholders,” Carovska said.

The Minister, the press release added, stressed that international and domestic test results have demonstrated students’ functional illiteracy.

“International and domestic reports and analysis point to the need for implementation of reforms, set to update our education model. Immediate reform of the elementary education system is crucial if we really care about future generations. Our children need quality education to get to the top,” Carovska noted at the meeting.

Once the concept is adopted, it will be implemented gradually, over the course of six years, starting next school year.

Stakeholders will continue debate over the concept in the upcoming period, the Education Ministry said. The concept, it added, is part of the Ministry’s strategy for the period 2018-2025, the law on elementary education and the government’s ongoing program.

“University professors, teachers, parents and students all took part in the concept’s development,” the press release concluded.