OECD - OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: North Macedonia

This review was developed in co-operation with UNICEF, whose staff provided valuable guidance and support. In particular, the review team would like to thank Parmosivea Soobrayan, Regional Education Advisor for Europe and Central Asia region, for his co-operation and commitment for the partnership between the OECD and UNICEF. The review team would like to convey our sincere appreciation to the UNICEF North Macedonia office, led by Benjamin Perks, Representative, and Elspeth Erickson, Deputy Representative. We would also like to thank the UNICEF education team, notably Vera Kondikj Mitkovska, Education Specialist, Ardita Zekiri, Programme Assistant, and Bore Pucoski, Programme Officer for their guidance, support and insights.

The review team would also like to thank the North Macedonian government, under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), for their support and contributions to the review. The review has benefited from the encouragement of the Minister of Education and Science Arbr Ademi, the Deputy Minister Petar Atanasov, and their teams.

We are very grateful to the officials and education experts from the Ministry of Education and Science, and beyond, who graciously shared their insights and knowledge with us. In particular, we would like to thank the members of the Steering Committee, Natasha Jankovska and Biljana Trajkovska, State Advisors of the MoES, Beti Lameva, Head of Unit for Matura and Information Technology in the National Examinations Centre (NEC), Mitko Cheshlarov, Head of Sector for Curricula Development in the Bureau for Development of Education (BDE), Ajshe Ajrulai, Head of Sector for Research in the Bureau for Development of Education (BDE), Ardijana Isahi Paloshi, Advisor from the Vocational Education and Training Centre (VETC) and Antoanela Stojanoska, Inspector from the State Education Inspectorate (SEI), who provided valuable contributions to the review.

We sincerely thank all the participants in the review visits, including officials from the MoES and its agencies the NEC, the BDE and the VETC. We would extend our gratitude to other national bodies, such as the Board for Accreditation and Evaluation of Higher Education in North Macedonia and municipal offices, as well as international bodies, including the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the delegation of the European Union. We are grateful to the researchers, non-governmental organisations, school leaders, teachers, teacher unions, parents and students, that kindly gave their time to share their views, experience and knowledge with us. We would especially like to thank the schools in Skopje and Tetovo municipalities for welcoming us so warmly during our review visits.