Back Launching Conference marks the beginning of the second phase of the “Quality Education for All” project in North Macedonia

Launching Conference marks the beginning of the second phase of the “Quality Education for All” project in North Macedonia

The launching conference of the project “Quality Education for All – Building Democratic Resilience – North Macedonia” was held on 9 June 2026 in Skopje, officially marking the beginning of the project’s second phase.

Implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, the project aims to promote democracy and human rights in and through education by supporting the implementation of the National Education Strategy 2026–2032, with a particular focus on democratic culture, inclusive education and democratic school governance.

The conference brought together representatives of national institutions, education professionals, school representatives, civil society organisations, international partners and other stakeholders to reflect on the achievements of the previous phase of the project and discuss priorities for the next three years.

Opening the conference, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Bureau for Development of Education and the Council of Europe reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening democratic and inclusive education and highlighted the importance of continued co-operation in advancing education reforms in North Macedonia.

In his address, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Driton Sulejmani emphasised the important role of education in fostering democratic values and active citizenship among young people.

“Quality education is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills; it is also about empowering young people to become active, responsible and engaged citizens who contribute to building inclusive and democratic communities,” he noted.

Representing the donor, Ambassador Petra Drexler reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting democratic and inclusive education reforms and highlighted the importance of investing in young people and democratic participation.
“The Quality Education for All programme is designed to provide young people with the tools and opportunities to become active and informed citizens. Germany is deeply committed to supporting the Council of Europe in this vital area because investing in democracy and education is an investment in the future of our shared continent,” she underlined.

Participants were presented with the key results achieved through the first phase of the project, including support to education policy development, strengthening the capacities of teachers and school staff, promoting democratic and inclusive school governance, and establishing the Network of Democratic and Inclusive Schools.

Building on these achievements, the new phase will focus on strengthening democratic resilience across the education system. Through support to national authorities, institutions and schools, the project will promote democratic school governance, inclusive and participatory learning environments and the development of learners’ competences for democratic culture. By fostering critical thinking, respect for diversity, active citizenship and meaningful participation, the project aims to equip learners and education professionals with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to respond constructively to contemporary challenges, including discrimination, exclusion, misinformation and social polarisation.

The project will also introduce new initiatives aimed at addressing emerging challenges in education, including activities related to digital democratic citizenship and democratic participation in the digital environment, as well as support for strengthening democratic culture and participation in secondary vocational education.

The conference featured presentations of experiences and good practices from Serbia and Albania, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange lessons learned and explore approaches to strengthening democratic school governance, teacher support and sustainable education reforms. The discussions highlighted the value of regional co-operation and peer learning in advancing democratic and inclusive education.
The new phase of the project will be implemented over the next three years and will continue supporting education reforms that contribute to quality education for all learners in North Macedonia. By strengthening democratic resilience at policy, institutional and school levels, the project seeks to empower learners to participate actively, responsibly and effectively in democratic societies and to contribute to more inclusive, cohesive and resilient communities.


 

Skopje, North Macedonia 9 June 2026
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project is implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by Germany. It is carried out in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Science, the Bureau for Development of Education and the Centre for Vocational Education and Training of North Macedonia from April 2026 to September 2028. The project builds on the outcomes of the first phase of the project (link to archived page here) which ran from December 2022 to 31 March 2026.

OBJECTIVE

To strengthen democratic culture, inclusion and democratic resilience in education in North Macedonia through support for democratic school governance, inclusive education policies and the promotion of competences for democratic culture at policy, institutional and school levels.

The project will benefit education policy makers, educational institutions, school principals, teachers, students, vocational education professionals, municipalities and local communities.

EXPECTED RESULTS/OUTCOMES  

The implementation of the National Education Strategy (2026–2032) and related reforms on democratic culture, inclusion and participatory school governance is strengthened through enhanced institutional capacities, policy support and monitoring mechanisms.

A Network of 25 Mentor Schools and 25 partner schools will reinforce democratic school culture, peer learning, inclusive practices and community engagement across primary and secondary education.

Teachers, school leadership and vocational education professionals will be equipped with tools, methodologies and guidance to integrate competences for democratic culture, digital citizenship education and inclusive approaches into teaching, learning and school governance.

National and local authorities will strengthen the implementation of desegregation measures and inclusive education policies in line with the European Court of Human Rights judgment in Elmazova and Others v. North Macedonia.

ACTIVITIES/OUTPUTS  

  • Development of an Action Plan and policy recommendations to strengthen the integration of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) across subjects and school practices in primary and secondary education.
  • Provision of targeted policy support, expert advice and stakeholder consultations for the implementation of the National Education Strategy (2026–2032), with a focus on democratic culture, inclusion and learner participation.
  • Development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, including indicators and tools, to support the evidence-based implementation of democratic culture, inclusion and digital citizenship education in schools.
  • Implementation of capacity-building activities, training-of-trainer programmes, mentoring and peer-learning initiatives for 25 Mentor Schools and 25 partner schools on democratic governance, inclusive teaching and community engagement.
  • Development and piloting of Digital Democracy Classrooms integrating democratic values, digital citizenship, gender equality and student participation into teaching and school governance.
  • Development of desegregation policy measures, monitoring tools and school-level implementation guidance in co-operation with national and local authorities.
  • Preparation of recommendations and didactic guidance for integrating competences for democratic culture into vocational education and training (VET).
  • Organisation of regional exchanges, peer-learning activities and awareness-raising events promoting democratic and inclusive education, including Democratic School Days and community outreach activities.


 

PROJECT CONTACTS

Romela Popovikj              Senior Project Officer               +389 2 3100 334                    contact

 

Irena Ordev                      Project Assistant                           +389 2 3100 320                     contact