Education Minister Vesna Janevska addressed the claims about Albanian first-graders from Chair being denied enrollment at “Petar Zdravkovski-Penko” school in neighboring Butel, saying that school catchment areas must be respected regardless of ethnicity.
“This is not only about Albanian students. It is about Albanian and Macedonian students, and the rules must apply equally to everyone”, Janevska said.
“Children should attend school in the municipality where they reside, whether they are Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Serbs, Bosniaks or Roma”.
She said municipalities are responsible for resolving enrollment disputes, while the ministry can issue recommendations. Janevska also said teachers without a full teaching load would mainly work in extended-day programs, while municipalities must provide free transport for students traveling more than 2.5 kilometers to school.