CHAPTER 14: ONGOING REFORMS AND POLICY DEVELOPMENTS
• 1 Overall national education strategy and key objectives
In January 2018 the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia has adopted the new Strategy for Education for the period 2018-2025 and corresponding Action Plan, and consequently it was published by the Ministry of Education and Science in Macedonian, Albanian and English language. The process of adoption has been preceded by public debates and analysis of the content of the document by experts, national and international, stakeholders and working groups.
The new Strategy for Education and its Action Plan encompass all fields and levels of education. The vision of the Strategy itself is that the education is key for the strengthening of the national economy and the wellbeing of the Macedonian citizens and therefore it is essential to put efforts for development of inclusive and integrated education system which is “student-centered”, which implements modern programmes that will enable the future generations to acquire knowledge, skills and competencies compliant to the needs of the democratic multicultural society, labor market and for the new challenges of the global scientific and technological setting. The document covers six main pillars of education system – Pre-school Education; Primary Education; Secondary Education; Vocational Education and Training; Higher Education and Research; and Adult Learning and Education. These are followed by a seventh pillar, covering general issues in the education system.
• 2 Overview of the education reform process and drivers
In September 2020, the European Commission adopted two initiatives aimed at strengthening the contribution of education and training to the EU recovery from the crisis and help build a "green" and digital Europe. The first initiative is the revitalization of the European Education Area with six dimensions: quality, inclusion and gender equality, green and digital transitions, teachers, higher education, a stronger Europe in the world.
The second initiative is the new Action Plan for Digital Education (2021 - 2027) with initiatives for high quality, inclusive and affordable digital education in Europe. The plan envisages action and stronger cooperation between Member States at European level, as well as between all stakeholders, in order to make education and training systems appropriate for digital time. The health crisis has put distance learning at the center of educational practices. It highlighted the need to promote digital education and its treatment as a key strategic goal for high quality learning and learning in the digital age.
Following the EU initiatives and the national Strategy for Education 2018-2025, the Ministry of Education and Science made national reforms in same directions.
In 2020 the national reforms in early childhood education and care are towards development a national platform for e-learning EDUINO and incensement of capacities in the kindergartens.
National reforms in school education are characterized with the adoption of the Amendments to the Laws on Primary and Secondary Education, which ensure the smooth organization of teaching in the country and in times of emergency, the case of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time the following concept were adopted: Concept for Development of a Distance Education System in Primary and Secondary Schools, Concept of Primary Education, Concept of State Testing in Primary Education.
The new Law on Higher Education adopted in 2018 introduced changes in democratization of university governance, particularly in the election of the university Rectors, promotion and CPD of the academic staff and changes in the area of quality assurance. It strengthened the university autonomy, introduced students’ “mobility windows” to encourage and unable greater international student mobility and provided for reforms in the student's organizing and participation in university governance and decision making. The Law foresees the establishment of a National Council for Higher Education and Research with a mandate to propose new model and criteria for financing of higher education and scientific research activity that will contribute to advancing the investment in science and increasing the quality of higher education.
In 2020, the implementation of the HE Law continued with the constitution and staffing of the two quality assurance bodies (Accreditation Board and Evaluation Board) within the Agency for Quality of Higher Education (AQHE). AQHE works on developing the set of new bylaws and Book of rules on accreditation and external evaluation of HEIs. Establishing of the National Council for Higher Education and Research Activity and a fully functional Quality Assurance system are in early stage of implementation.
Following the closure of the universities and HIEs and shift to online teaching and learning, the Government in 2020 has adopted a Decree and three amendments for the application of the Law on Higher Education during the state of emergency. It regulated different aspects related to the provision of higher education in the country -the execution of study programs, the organization of examination sessions and in-person student’s assessment at all three cycles, accreditations and re-accreditations, the extension of the mandate and bodies at the HEIs. In order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on students standard and wellbeing, a Decree was adopted for covering part of the costs for studying and part of the accommodation costs for student dorm and for private accommodation intended to state funded students coming from low-income family households.
In 2020, the national reforms in vocational education and training and adult learning are characterized with the mapping, selection, preparation and establishment of the three Regional centers for vocational education and training: Vocational High School "Mosa Pijade" – Tetovo (Polog region); for North-EastVocational High School "Kiro Burnaz" – Kumanovo (north-Eastern region), and Municipal Catering and Tourism School "Vanco Pitosevski" – Ohrid (South - Western region)
In the school year 2019/2020, in line with the continuation of dual vocational education concept, it was conducted in seven vocational education schools (in Kavadarci, Ohrid, Prilep, Bitola, Veles, Skopje, Gostivar), for three educational profiles: technician for industrial mechatronics; technician for manufacturing machinery and electrician - electric motor on power grids.The amended draft of the Law on adult education has undergone a process of additional revision in 2020 within the Ministry of Education and Science and its’ adoption by the Government is expected to happen in the course of 2021.
National reforms related to transversal skills and employability are implemented through the Revised Operational Plan for Active Labor Market Employment and Services Programs and Measures 2020as a framework of the employment policies of the Republic of North Macedonia, created by the Government, embedded in a series of other national strategic policy documents, and in line with international strategic agendas. It aims at supporting the creation of new workplaces, increasing employability and labor market competitiveness of the unemployed individuals, with a special emphasis on the young and socially disadvantaged, long-term unemployed. In 2020, the setting up of a national system for Validation of non-formal and informal learning continued and should be wrapped up by its’ piloting in 2021 as a final step before the introduction of the system.
European perspective of the country is visible through adoption of the Concept for inclusive education, implementation of the project “Be IN, be INclusive, be INcluded”, awarding the grants for realization of activities contributing to the development and promotion of multiculturalism, multi-ethnical integration and tolerance and implementation of the 21st century schools programme.
EU Twinning Project “Further support to the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework” (MK IPA 17 SO 01 21) started in October 2021. The Beneficiary of the Project is the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of North Macedonia. A Consortium of three Member States – Lithuania, France and Slovenia with the expertise of other relevant authorities is responsible for the implementation of the Project. The overall objective of the Project is further strengthening and operationalization of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) aiming to increase the employability, mobility and social integration of workers and learners in the Republic of North Macedonia.