The educational system in the Republic of North Macedonia is organised into several levels:

• Pre-school education (under the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth) for children aged 0–6 years. This includes nurseries and kindergartens.
• Primary education, which starts at age 6 and lasts for nine years (grade 1 to grade 9). This is compulsory and free for all learners. Teaching follows the state curriculum and educational standards.
• Secondary education, which is compulsory and free for all learners. It lasts 3 or 4 years, depending on the type of school: gymnasiums (general secondary schools), vocational secondary schools or art schools.

Before 1990 – segregation

Learners with disabilities were placed in special schools, boarding schools or institutions, separated by type of disability.

Late 1990s–early 2000s – integration

Special classes were established within mainstream schools to provide specialised support to learners with disabilities.

1998 – start of inclusion

A UNICEF-supported pilot project, ‘Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in Regular Schools’, introduced school inclusive teams and individual education plans (IEPs). It served as the foundation for shifting from segregation/integration to inclusion.

2008 Law on Primary Education

The law enabled parents to enrol children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Amendments to the law introduced school inclusive teams and IEPs as formal obligations.

2019 Law on Primary Education – major shift to inclusion

The law defines inclusive education as a fundamental principle and guarantees the right to education for all learners. It specifies curricular options (IEP, modified curriculum) and establishes school inclusive teams and inclusive teams for the learner.

Accessibility and educational assistants became a requirement. The law also ensured the transformation of special schools into resource centres and special classes into learning support centres.

Amendments (Official Gazette 161/19, 229/20, 3/25, 74/25)

Learners with complex needs who follow a modified curriculum may enrol in a school with a resource centre. This is based on the learner’s/their parents’ choice and professional recommendations.

All other learners with special educational needs have the right to enrol in any mainstream school; a disability assessment must be submitted for additional support.

School zoning (‘reonization’ or ‘catchment’) rules do not apply to learners with disabilities.

Municipalities without a support centre must designate a primary school to establish one, considering space, equipment and staffing.

The education system in the Republic of North Macedonia has been decentralised since 2005.

Primary and secondary schools are managed by municipalities, while the central government retains significant responsibilities, particularly in policy development, quality assurance and special needs education policies.

Local municipalities and the central government share education management.

Municipalities are responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of most primary and secondary schools.

The Ministry of Education and Science oversees and supports the continuous development of the overall education system.

Most schools are financed through block grants, which cover both infrastructure and staff salaries. This approach provides schools with greater financial autonomy.

The Ministry of Education and Science website contains links to the following Laws:

• Law on Primary Education
• Law on Secondary Education
• Law on the Bureau for the Development of Education
• Law on State Educational Inspection.

Concept note on Primary Education (in English)

Concept for Vocational Education and Training

Education Strategy 2018–2025 (a new one is in preparation for 2026–2032)

Law on the Execution of the Budget for 2025

Ministry of Education and Science Strategy Plan 2025–2027

Ministry of Education and Science Annual Working Plan 2025

The following by-laws relate to inclusive education:

• The Concept of Inclusive Education – a national document that systematises the goals, values and practical guidelines for inclusion in education: accessibility, equality, support, adapting teaching and transforming school resources.
• Guidelines for co-operation between primary schools with a resource centre, learning support centres and other primary schools (this document is currently under revision).
• Rulebook on standards, competencies and work tasks for teaching assistants
• Rulebook for requesting, selecting and appointing an educational assistant, including the educational assistants’ training programme
• Rulebook on assessing learners with disabilities
• Decision on reonization (school zoning) for co-operation between municipal primary schools and primary schools with a resource centre and/or learning support centres for learners with disabilities
• The Guide for the Work of the School Inclusive Team is a tool for schools, available on the Ministry of Education and Science website.

Education Strategy 2018–2025 (a new one is in preparation for 2026–2032)

In the Republic of North Macedonia, learners with disabilities study in mainstream primary and secondary schools. The school principal forms a school inclusive team for them.

The school inclusive team takes care of inclusive policies and practices at the whole school level and an inclusive team for the learner works according to the individual education plan (IEP) or modified curriculum.

The school inclusive team designs and implements activities at the school level and ensures that they are harmonised and applied in educational work.

According to the Law on Primary Education and Law on Secondary Education, the inclusive team for the learner lasts until the learner completes primary education.

The inclusive team for the learner focuses its work on specific learners and prepares and implements their IEPs.

Schools with resource centres and Support Centres use their material and human resources and provide appropriate professional support to learners with disabilities and to the teaching staff, professional associates, parents or guardians and inclusive teams in other primary schools.

The teaching staff in primary schools with resource centres and in Support Centres also implement part of the modified programme for learners with complex needs who attend classes in primary schools with a resource centres, in accordance with the recommendation from the assessment.

At national level, Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the national curriculum, standards, funding norms (including per capita funding for special educational needs (SEN) support) and policy. It communicates directives to the Bureau for Development of Education, which is responsible for teacher training, curriculum development and providing methodological guidance to schools on inclusive practices. It also creates manuals and guidelines for individual education plans (IEPs).

Local self-government has a Municipal Council for the Rights of the Child (mandated by the Law on Child Protection). This includes the mayor, officials from the Centre for Social Work, and representatives from schools, health centres, the police and NGOs. Its role is to identify, refer and co-ordinate support for vulnerable children, including those with SEN.

At school level, the principal is responsible for implementing national directives. The Expert School Service is the frontline for assessment, initial IEP development and liaising with external bodies.

Resource Centres are direct services that support vertical collaboration. These are specialised institutions (often at the regional or municipal level) that provide direct support to mainstream schools. They offer expert assessment and consultation for teachers, specialised materials and resources and training for school staff, and direct therapy for learners. They act as a critical bridge between the school’s needs and specialised knowledge.

Commissions for Orientation operate at the municipal level. These are multi-disciplinary teams (usually including a doctor, psychologist, pedagogue and social worker) that provide a formal recommendation for the support a learner needs.

Inter-ministerial collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Social Policies, Demography and Youth (Centres for Social Work), Ministry of Health and Municipal Council for the Rights of the Child, School Expert Service and NGOs, which play a big role in North Macedonia.

The Law on Primary Education, the Law on Secondary Education and the Strategy for Inclusive Education legally mandate parental involvement and child-centred approaches.

• The individual education plan (IEP) is a central, legally required tool for personalisation. Municipal Councils for the Rights of the Child operate as a multi-sectoral body (social work, health, education, NGOs). They discuss individual cases of children at risk, including those with special educational needs (SEN), making them a key forum where family circumstances are officially heard.
• In Commissions for Orientation, families provide information about their child’s needs. At school level, the school Expert Service (psychologist/pedagogist/special educators and rehabilitators) and teachers develop IEPs in consultation with parents.
• The law recognises the learner’s right to participate as a partner of the school, including in the school board. However, in practice, learners’ participation in the boards is inconsistent.

Co-operation is structured through legally mandated multi-sectorial councils (municipal councils) and formal processes (Orientation Commissions, IEPs, Support Teams). The system is designed for co-ordinated intervention, with schools as the main link to families and NGOs serving as a vital community-based partners and advocates.

Early childhood education and care

Pre-schools, in co-operation with centres for social work and healthcare institutions, provide support to families in vulnerable situations.

Municipalities play a key role by:

• expanding local pre-school infrastructure;
• identifying local needs for inclusion and outreach;
• supporting community-based centres for children who are not yet enrolled in formal pre-schools.

The teacher or family identifies a concern and communicates with the School Expert Service. The Service may refer learners to the Resource Centre (for educational support) and the Centre for Social Work (for social/family support). In complex cases, the Municipal Council is activated.

In the Republic of North Macedonia, learners with disabilities are educated in mainstream schools with appropriate support. As such, the financing of learners with disabilities is aligned with the Decree on the Methodology for Determining Criteria for the Distribution of Block Grants for Primary Education by Municipality for 2025. The key points are as follows:

Financing criteria (block grant distribution) for municipalities in 2025 include:

• Basic amount per municipality
• Number of learners in the municipality
• Number of learners with special needs
• Population density in the municipality.

In the funding formula, one learner with disabilities is counted as two, in terms of the financial resources allocated to the municipality through the block grant.

The state fully finances schools that function as resource centres, which provide services to learners with disabilities. These schools employ qualified assistants assigned to learners with disabilities, based on recommendations from the Orientation Commission.

Resource centres are responsible for training the educational assistants who are hired to support learners with disabilities.

The Ministry of Education and Science budget allocates funds under inclusive education for:

• Didactic equipment
• Assistive software
• Other learning materials needed by learners with disabilities.

These funds are allocated to resource centres, which provide support and therapeutic services to learners with disabilities.

From 2026, a new formula for financing primary education will be introduced.

Within the variable component, a dedicated amount will be calculated that includes the indicator number of learners with special educational needs.

At state level, the Ministry of Education and Science and the Inspectorate are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the national EMIS and setting standards for data disaggregation. There is also a National Equity in Education Report.

At municipal level, school data is aggregated and cross-school trends and gaps identified. The municipality monitors equitable resource distribution across its schools and supports schools in data analysis and response planning.

At school level, schools collect daily data (attendance, grades, behaviour), conduct school climate surveys and analyse results by sub-group.

Evaluating the quality of education is carried out at multiple levels: 

• At the national level, state testing is implemented in accordance with the Concept for State Testing (2020) and has been implemented so far for learners in the third and fifth grades (conducted by State Testing Centre). The Bureau for the Development of Education carries out advisory work and evaluates the application of its training content. The State Education Inspectorate conducts integral evaluation of schools every three years. The state also participates in international tests, such as PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, etc.
• At the local level, municipal education inspectors visit schools.
• Аt the school level, school self-evaluation takes place every two years and a development programme takes place every four years. Principals and the professional service evaluate classes, together with the School Board.

Reports emerge from the monitoring and evaluation processes mentioned in the previous sections. Most of them are publicly available on the websites of the listed institutions. The reports generally contain an analysis of strengths and weaknesses and planned future activities.

From 2028, the funding formula will include a progressive component for the most successful schools, which will use indicators to assess success. Indicators on inclusion, marginalised groups and policies for equal quality education will be an integral part.

The joint electronic system for school administration and the e-diary collects:

• personal information (the learner’s unique educational number, name, surname, gender and date of birth);
• the name of the learner’s primary school, dates of enrolment, deregistration and completion, community affiliation and school year.

Data is entered into the system on the teaching process, learner assessment, school absences, additional and supplementary teaching, extra-curricular activities and the school’s social and humanitarian work. This serves as the basis for the State Educational Inspectorate’s school evaluation and the Bureau for the Development of Education’s monitoring and tracking of teachers’ work. The Ministry of Education and Science uses the system to collect statistical data such as the number of learners, classes, staff, etc.

European Agency Statistics on Inclusive Education data tables

Primary and secondary school teachers may have:

• completed at least four years of appropriate higher education in accordance with the standards for teaching staff set out in the curriculum and have acquired at least 240 ECTS;
• passed a professional examination after the apprenticeship.

Teacher professional development includes accredited training programmes, Ministry-approved projects, internal professional development in school, inter-school learning teams, and individual forms of learning.

Teachers are obliged to undertake at least 60 hours of continuous professional development training in three academic years.

Within the framework of the training, at least 40 hours must be participation in accredited training programmes.

The funds for the accredited training are provided in the budget of the Bureau for Development of Education, the local self-government units and through educational projects approved by the Ministry.

Training programmes are accredited in accordance with the Law on the Bureau for the Development of Education.

Within three years, each teacher must undergo 20 hours of training for priority programmes determined by the Minister, funded by the Bureau budget.

Teachers make a personal professional development plan for each school year, based on self-evaluation of professional competencies, the results of integral evaluation and reports from the school principal, advisors from the Bureau, the Centre and the State Educational Inspectorate. The school principal approves the plan upon the proposal of the school professional development team. The school professional development team consists of the co-ordinators of the professional assets of teachers in the school, the principal and a professional associate in the school.

According to the Bureau for Development of Education’s Catalogue of Accredited Training Programmes for Primary School Teacher, teachers may choose training depending on the topics in which they wish to improve their competencies.

The catalogue also includes training programmes on topics related to inclusive education.

Professional development for pre-school staff

Capacity-building activities aim to ensure that every pre-primary educator has the skills to support inclusion:

• Accredited training programmes on inclusive practices, early identification and individualised learning
• Continuous professional development through the early childhood education and care training catalogues
• Co-operation with NGOs, UNICEF, European Union projects and resource centres to deliver specialised training
• Inclusion of special educators in kindergartens where needed.

Professional associates prepare a personal professional development plan for each school year, which determines the training they need to strengthen professional competencies in areas where additional improvement is required.

They also:

• attend training and accredited programmes provided by the Bureau for Development of Education (BDE);
• participate in international projects (for example, UNICEF and European Union);
• organise internal training within schools.

Professional associates’ professional development is achieved through accredited training programmes, ministry-approved projects, internal professional development in the school, inter-school learning teams, and individual forms of learning.

Professional associates must undertake at least 60 hours of continuous professional development training in three academic years.

Within the framework of the training, at least 40 hours must be from participation in accredited training programmes.

Funds for the training are provided in the budget of the Bureau, the local self-government units and through educational projects approved by the Ministry.

Training programmes are accredited in accordance with the Law on the Bureau for the Development of Education.

Each professional associate must undergo 20 hours of training for priority programmes determined by the Minister within a period of three years, for which the Bureau budget provides funds.

Professional associates prepare a personal professional development plan for each academic year, based on self-evaluation of professional competencies, the results of the integral evaluation, the insight of the principal and the reports from visits by advisors from the Bureau and the State Educational Inspectorate. The plan is approved by the principal of the school upon the proposal of the school professional development team.

In the Republic of North Macedonia, principals must have passed the principal’s exam, which includes 192 hours of mandatory training.

The training is divided into six modules: Application of information technology in education management; Organisational theory; The person in the organisation; the Director as a pedagogical leader; Legislation; and Finances.

A by-law regulates professional competencies for principals.

In accordance with legal obligations, the principal is obliged to: 

• encourage, monitor and organise professional training and development of teachers and professional associates;
• ensure co-operation with parents or guardians, organise and monitor the work of the school inclusive team and other teams in the school;
• form the school inclusive team;
• oversee the school’s co-operation with the municipal health institution, etc.

Support is based on an assessment from the Assessment System using the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). The ICF-based system is a functional, rather than a medical, assessment model, used particularly in the fields of education, social protection and healthcare.

A multidisciplinary functional assessment team carries out the assessment. The team includes: a psychologist, a special educator and rehabilitator, a pedagogue/social worker, a physician (when necessary) and other professionals, depending on the learner’s needs.

Parents/guardians, a school or kindergarten, or a social work centre may request the assessment, with the informed consent of the parent.

During the assessment, data is collected on: body functions and structures; activities and participation (learning, communication, socialisation); environmental factors (school, family, accessibility); personal factors (age, interests).

The focus is on the learner’s participation in real-life contexts. This assessment does not provide a ‘diagnosis’, but rather a profile of functioning.

At the end of the assessment, a finding and opinion are prepared, including: the learner’s strengths, areas requiring support and recommendations for educational, social, and/or health support.

Based on the recommendations related to education, primary schools organise the teaching and learning process for learners with disabilities.

The recommendations for education most commonly include:

• provision of support from a teaching assistant;
• implementation of teaching according to an individual education plan (IEP);
• implementation of teaching according to a modified curriculum;
• individual work with a special educator, etc.

Recommendations determine whether the learner with a disability has an individual educational plan or a modified programme.

Curriculum and programmes in primary and secondary education

A national curriculum and programme apply to all schools, defining compulsory and elective subjects, content, learning outcomes and other components.

The curricula allow flexibility in:

• Teaching strategies (projects, practical work, individual tasks)
• Adapting materials to learners’ abilities
• Interdisciplinary projects
• Differentiated instruction.

Assessment

Primary and secondary education use summative and formative assessment.

In secondary schools, assessment is exclusively summative.

In primary schools, each learner has a portfolio that collects evidence of learning and skills that are not visible through tests.

Instruction for learners with disabilities

Individual educational plans or modified programmes are provided to learners with disabilities or with complex needs that require an adapted curriculum.

Inclusive Education Framework

Inclusive education is a national priority defined in the Law on Primary Education, Law on Secondary Education, and national inclusion strategies.

The goal is to ensure access to quality education in mainstream schools with support tailored to individual needs.

Strengthening specialised support services is essential to increase mainstream school capacity.

Strengthening school professional teams

Schools continually enhance their teams by employing special educators, psychologists, pedagogues and other professionals.

Resource centres and learning support centres

In 2021–2022, five special primary schools were transformed into primary schools with resource centres.

Special classes in 23 primary schools were transformed into learning support centres.

Primary schools with resource centres and learning support centres support:

• learners with disabilities
• teachers and professional associates
• parents/guardians.

In addition, primary schools with resource centres support inclusive teams in other schools nationwide and learning support centres support inclusive teams within the municipality.

Collaboration 

Co-operation between mainstream schools and resource centres is defined by a decision on reonization (school zoning).

Each resource centre supports a designated national region.

Support based on functional assessment

Schools must provide support recommended by the International Classification of Functioning (ICF)-based assessment, including:

• Professional support (in resource or support centres)
• Educational assistants
• Assistive technology
• Support from professional associates (pedagogue, psychologist, special educator).

ICF assessment determines:

• Functional abilities
• Required types of support
• Whether learning should follow an IEP or modified curriculum
• Need for specialised services.

This system co-ordinates support across multiple sectors.

Inclusive teams in Schools

Each school has:

• a school inclusive team (school-wide inclusive policies and practices);
• an inclusive team for the learner (for learners with an IEP or modified curriculum).

Teaching assistants

Teaching assistants were introduced in 2021–2022 in primary education and their numbers increase yearly. In 2025–2026, there are 1,346 educational assistants in primary education, and 120 teaching assistants were introduced for the first time in secondary schools.

Capacity building and training

Governmental and non-governmental organisations provide on-going training for teachers and professional associates.

Training focuses on strengthening competencies for effective inclusive education.

Inclusive teams in primary schools (according to the Law on Primary Education)

The school principal establishes school inclusive teams. Their mandate is three school years. They include seven members:

• pedagogist, psychologist or social worker
• two teachers (one class teacher, one subject teacher)
• two parents/guardians
• special educator and rehabilitator
• school principal.

Their main responsibilities are to design and implement school-level inclusive activities and to ensure alignment and application of inclusive practices in the educational process.

Inclusive teams for the learner operate until the learner completes primary education. They include:

• the learner’s teachers
• parent/guardian
• pedagogist, psychologist or social worker
• special educator and rehabilitator.

Teaching assistants focus on individual learners. They develop and implement individual education plans (IEPs) or modified programmes. May invite the learner, additional teachers, experts or any trusted person.

If the school lacks a certain professional profile, members may be appointed from learning support centres or resource centre schools.

IEPs or modified programmes are prepared within 30 days of the learner starting in the school. They are based on the learner’s individual needs and potential.

Learning support measures follow the national disability assessment system. The team co-operates with all teachers and professional associates involved in the learner’s education. 

North Macedonia has introduced several policies and programmes aimed at increasing participation in quality inclusive early childhood education and providing targeted support for families experiencing disadvantage. These efforts align with the goals of expanding access, strengthening inclusion and improving early developmental outcomes for all children, including those from vulnerable groups.

Legal and strategic framework supporting inclusion

The Law on Early Childhood Education and Care establishes inclusion as a fundamental principle, ensuring that all children – regardless of disability, socio-economic background, ethnicity or other factors – have the right to access early learning services.

National strategies on social protection, early childhood development and inclusion further prioritise the participation of vulnerable groups, including children with disabilities, Roma children, and children from low-income families.

Inclusion of children with disabilities in pre-primary education

Children with disabilities are supported to attend mainstream pre-schools through:

• functional assessment based on the International Classification of Functioning (ICF);
• developing individual education plans (IEPs) for children who require adapted approaches;
• pre-primary inclusion teams, composed of educators, special educators, psychologists and parents, responsible for planning and monitoring support;
• support from special educators and resource staff from resource centres and local support centres;
• assistive technology, adapted materials and therapies, depending on the child’s needs.

Structured support for all learners during transitions to minimise drop-out, disengagement and failure includes:

• the non-application of regionalisation for learners with disabilities;
• scholarships for high school learners who are socially vulnerable, Roma learners, learners with special educational needs, learners without parents, and for learners studying in vocational education and training (VET) schools in professions and profiles of interest to the state;
• exemption from payment for certifying documents for people at social risk, curriculum for migrant children, under subsidised protection for studying the Macedonian language and key scientific areas such as mathematics and natural sciences, etc;
• providing teaching assistants for children with disabilities and educational mediators and tutoring support for Roma children;
• through the Social Affairs Sector, providing conditional cash transfers to learners whose parents receive guaranteed minimum assistance, so that they regularly attend classes.

VET: Student participation/enrolment in VET education is around 70%. Over 750 companies offer dual education, with practical training in a company.

Further and higher education: to prepare students for university or other advanced professional qualifications, the ministry provides support through scholarships, including special scholarships for Roma students. Free student meals are provided, etc.

Employment: Guidance, work placement and job readiness programmes connect education directly to the labour market.