All elementary school students as of the next school year will learn math and science using adapted curricula of the Cambridge International Examinations. After the project was launched three years ago, the curriculums have been applied from first to six grade and they are planned to be introduced in seventh, eighth and ninth grade, thus covering the entire primary education.

Holding a news conference on Wednesday, Deputy Education Minister Spiro Ristovski referred to the positive results of the Cambridge curricula that have been published in Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Serbian.

“These reforms have fulfilled their goal. This has been also concluded by the Cambridge center after monitoring the introduction and application of their curricula and textbooks in our country. The monitoring report is highly positive noting that the reform is adequately implemented,” stated Ristovski.

Representatives of the Cambridge International Examinations visited 60 schools to monitor classes and prepare a report. Their report notes that interaction between teachers and students has been significantly increased.

The report says, Ristovski added, that it comes as a result of the key features of the curricula – spiral classes according to international standards including finding solutions to problems. According to the Cambridge center, it prompts students to be active during classes, initiate discussions and mull solutions. The report also says that students find it easier to learn and memorize the necessary information.

“Teachers are now more interested in teaching according to the new methods. They have a rather changed approach to students owing to the trainings they attended on how to teach the curricula… We are particularly pleased after it has been also noted that some of the teachers believe that teaching according to these curricula is the highest achievement in their careers,” said Ristovski.

The report, he added, does not contain negative shortcomings, but it offers suggestions to municipalities to increase their support for teaching aids.

After encompassing primary education, the reform will be further implemented in high schools, most likely as of 2017, for which law amendments have been made.