Back First Steering Committee Meeting launches the second phase of the “Quality Education for All” project in North Macedonia

First Steering Committee Meeting launches the second phase of the “Quality Education for All” project in North Macedonia

The first Steering Committee meeting of the project “Quality Education for All – Building Democratic Resilience – North Macedonia” was held on 9 June 2026 in Skopje, marking the official launch 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 human rights-based approaches.

The meeting brought together representatives of key national institutions responsible for the development and implementation of education policies, members of the project's Steering Committee , including the Ministry of Education and Science, the Bureau for Development of Education, the State Education Inspectorate, the State Examination Centre, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Centre for Vocational Education and Training and the Commission for Protection against Discrimination. Representatives of the Ombudsman Office and the General Secretariat of the Government of North Macedonia also participated as observers. Participants discussed the objectives, expected results and planned activities of the new phase of the project, while also reflecting on the achievements and lessons learned from the previous implementation period.

Building on the results achieved through the first phase, the project will continue supporting national authorities, institutions and schools in strengthening democratic school governance, fostering inclusive and participatory learning environments, and developing learners’ competences for democratic culture.

Particular attention will be given to supporting the implementation of the National Education Strategy 2026–2032, strengthening co-operation among relevant stakeholders, promoting democratic and inclusive school practices, and enhancing the sustainability of project results.

The new phase will also introduce innovative initiatives aimed at addressing emerging challenges in education, including activities related to digital democratic citizenship and support for democratic culture and participation within secondary vocational education.

Participants underlined the importance of continued interinstitutional co-operation and reaffirmed their commitment to working together towards a more inclusive, participatory and democratic education system that equips learners with the competences needed to actively participate in a multicultural and democratic society.

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.


 

Skopje, North Macedonia 9 June 2026
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page

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