Tomorrow afternoon will be held the first high school march because, as “High school plenum” says, bad education reforms, which include the new way of state graduation and external testing. The march will begin at 12 pm at the fountain in City Park and will end in front of the Ministry of Education and Science. Except in Skopje, march will be held in other cities in Macedonia as well.
“Let’s gather as many as possible to express our anger towards poor reforms. We demand the old concept of graduation to be returned and law on external testing not to be changed. It is time to reject the foreign influence because education belongs to us. It is time to show that we will not allow them to destroy the educational system for us and for future generations. So come and join us,” reads Facebook announcement for the event.
Across high schools yesterday were distributed counter-fliers and posters which were falsely signed by “High school plenum” with content: “If not us, who? If not now, when? If not for Zaev, for Soros” and “Mice are needed for every experiment! Do not let them experiment on you! As Soros on me.”
On 14th of March, “High school plenum” filed a request for stopping the legal provisions for external testing to the Ministry of Education and Science and the Bureau for Development of Education, which was rejected.
In the request, High school plenum said that external testing is contrary to European educational standards.
“The continuing check of knowledge and the ability of the student throughout the school year cannot and should not be equated with check via external testing, which takes only a few hours. Therefore, “High school plenum” demands provisions of laws on primary and secondary education relating to external testing to be immediately put on hold. Furthermore, we call on a comprehensive debate based on factual data and facts, with a clear concept of the expected results and the way they will be implemented. Debate in which we, students, as well as teachers, who make up the backbone of the education system not only in ours, but in any democratic country, will be involved” reads the request of the plenum, which the Ministry of Education refused.
So far protested students from many high schools in Skopje, Tetovo, Kavadarci, Veles, Shtip, and protests in other cities are also announced.
