Education Minister Mila Carovska denied claims from distinguished literature professor and writer Jasna Koteska, that she is planning to abolish Macedonian language studies at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.

Koteska, who teaches at the Philology Faculty, said that Carovska has put forward plans to roll Macedonian language studies at the faculty into broader studies named “linguistics” and Macedonian literature into general “literature”. This comes at a time when Carovska is pushing to abolish history as a stand – alone class in elementary schools. Macedonia is under strong pressure from Bulgaria and Greece to rewrite its school books in line with the national and historic narratives of its neighbors.

The plan is to have 10 year education with no actual education, until get the Bulgarian history books. At the Philology Faculty they are planning to have two branches of studies – linguistics and literature but the Macedonian language and literature won’t be part of the branches, Koteska said, calling on the Dean of the faculty to resign in protest.

Carovska denied the allegation. “I strongly deny claims from Jasna Koteska and I call on her to stop spreading misinformation”, Carovska replied in the Twitter exchange.

Bulgaria is pushing to have the Macedonian language redefined as a dialect of the Bulgarian, along with requiring changes to the Macedonian historic narrative. It is currently blocking the opening of EU accession talks with Macedonia until the country accepts a long list of demands.