The Institute of National History (INI) warned the Zaev Government to stop experimenting with the education system – after the Government announced it will keep pushing on its plan to abolish history as a stand-alone class in elementary schools. The Institute issued a statement signed by most of its staff, as well as retired lecturers, joining the Macedonian MANU Academy and other scientific institutions in its opposition to the “reform” that seems driven by Zaev’s need to placate Greece and Bulgaria in the historic disputes he has intensified.

History is taught as a stand-alone class in the national education programs of Balkan countries and of most EU member states. From Bulgaria and Greece, to Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, up to Britain and Finland, the study of history is sees as essential toward learning about identity and for nation building. It has been announced that, along with the new education program, existing history books will automatically be removed. This is unacceptable, given that the Macedonian people and nation are being directly denied by our neighbors and the integration of the Macedonian state is being conditioned with the revision of our national history. It is clear that, during the study of history, both Balkan and EU states use it as the fundamental tool to discover and build their national identities. The Macedonian state can’t be an exception and can’t experiment with its own national history, the Institute states.

It calls on the Government to stop reforms that endanger basic sciences such as the study of history, and to conduct deep analytical reviews before any reform is initiated.