Foundation Skills Education
Every child has a right to learn and succeed
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- Македонски
Education is one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity. It shapes children’s futures, strengthens communities and drives economic growth. In North Macedonia, being in school does not mean learning.
The challenge
North Macedonia is facing a learning crisis - one that is holding children back and limiting the country’s future.
Recent international data show that too many children are leaving school without basic skills. According to PISA 2022 results, three out of four 15-year-olds struggle with reading, while two out of three perform below basic levels in mathematics and science.
These are not just statistics. They represent lost opportunities - for children, for families and for the country as a whole.
The roots of the challenge start early. Many children are not getting the strong foundation they need. Only around 46% of children aged 3–5 are enrolled in preschool, and far fewer among Roma and other disadvantaged groups.
From the earliest years, inequality shapes learning. Children from poorer households, rural areas, children from Roma communities and children with disabilities are less likely to access quality early education and more likely to struggle later in school.
As children move through the system, these gaps widen. The unequal distribution of teachers and resources, and outdated teaching and learning approaches all contribute to poor outcomes. Students spend less time learning than their peers in other countries, while teachers often lack the support, training and tools needed to deliver modern, inclusive education.
The result is a system where: a large number of children fall behind, inequalities are reinforced, and learning does not translate into real-world skills.
Without reform, the education system risks deepening inequality and limiting the country’s human capital and future growth.
The solution
Improving education outcomes requires more than incremental change. It requires system-wide reform focused on quality, efficiency, equity, safety and inclusion.
UNICEF works with the Government and partners to transform education so that every child can learn, develop and succeed.
This starts with strengthening the foundations. Expanding access to quality early childhood education ensures that all children - especially the most vulnerable - start school ready to learn.
It also means improving how the system is organized. Supporting school network optimization, more equitable funding and better use of human resources can help ensure that every child, wherever they live, has access to quality education.
At the same time, emphasis is placed on what happens in the classroom. Modern curricula, stronger teacher training and better learning environments are critical to improving learning outcomes, building foundational and transferable skills and making education relevant for today’s world.
Learning can only happen when children feel safe, supported and included. Strengthening efforts to prevent violence, bullying and discrimination in schools, while promoting positive school climates and student wellbeing, helps create environments where every child can learn and thrive. Additionally, strengthening the support system for children with disabilities, Roma children and other marginalized groups ensures that education systems do not leave anyone behind, but actively work to close gaps.
As new challenges emerge, the system must also evolve. Investments in climate-resilient and safe school infrastructure, along with digital learning and innovation, ensure that education remains accessible and uninterrupted, even in times of crisis.
All of this must be grounded in evidence. Better data, stronger monitoring and continuous learning can ensure that policies are informed, targeted and effective.
A better future through education
When education works, it changes everything.
It equips children with foundational, transferable and life skills to succeed, opens pathways to employment, reduces inequality and strengthens society as a whole.
But this only happens when every child has access to quality, inclusive education.
By transforming the system to focus on learning, equity and inclusion, North Macedonia will ensure that every child not only goes to school, but leaves with the knowledge, skills and confidence to shape their future.
Because every child has a right to quality education that enables them to learn and succeed.