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1. Main trends in young people's participation in education and training

2. Organisation of the education and training system

3. Main concepts

Main trends in young people's participation in education and training

The Republic of North Macedonia continues to face challenges related to youth participation in education and training, particularly among young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Official labour-force based estimates and international datasets indicate a gradual decline in the NEET share over recent years: the NEET rate was around 24% in 2021 and fell to roughly 19–20% by 2023, reflecting both demographic shifts in the youth cohort and the effects of targeted policy measures. This quantitative improvement, however, sits alongside several persistent structural and qualitative problems that continue to shape whether young people enter, remain in, or return to education and training. Policy interventions such as the Youth Guarantee model — combining outreach, profiling, activation services and links to training, traineeships and job offers — have improved coverage and increased the share of young registrants receiving offers, but their impact varies across municipalities and depends heavily on local absorption capacity and employer engagement.

Survey evidence and qualitative research (Research on Youth Trends, 2022) show that young people give mixed assessments of formal education (average ratings around 3.5/5) and frequently report moderate teacher support, limited practical and hands-on learning, weak school–business linkages and inadequate career guidance — all factors that lower the perceived value of schooling for employability and raise the risk of disengagement.

Recent legislative and strategic steps have explicitly targeted these gaps: amendments to the Law on Secondary Education (April 2025) strengthen inclusive measures and support for learners with special educational needs, while the National Youth Strategy 2023–2027 and its action plans prioritise access, social inclusion and closer links between youth policy, skills development and employment — reforms intended to reduce barriers and improve school-to-work transitions. Taken together, the main trends point to falling inactivity but fragile gains that are unevenly distributed; a clear demand from young people for more practical, work-based and career-oriented learning; growing policy emphasis on inclusion and VET/work-based pathways; and an urgent need for sustained local outreach, teacher development and disaggregated monitoring so that recent quantitative improvements translate into durable, equitable participation in meaningful education and training.

Organisation of the education and training system

The education system of the Republic of North Macedonia is organised into successive stages: preschool; elementary education (ages 6–14); secondary education (typically ages 15–17/18); and higher education.

A key milestone came with the 2008 amendment to the Law on Secondary Education (Закон за средното образование), which for the first time made secondary education compulsory for all citizens. This raised the upper age of compulsory schooling from 14 to 18 for general secondary education; compulsory participation in vocational education and training (VET) varies by track and covers ages up to 16, 17 or 18 depending on the programme selected.Formal secondary education (ISCED 3) comprises general secondary and arts programmes (gymnasia and arts schools) that normally run for four years, and vocational secondary programmes delivered in vocational schools that last three years for occupation-focused VET or four years for vocational-technical tracks. In response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, technical amendments enabled teaching to be delivered remotely through authorised online channels, supplementing in-person instruction where necessary.

The Law on Vocational Education and Training (Закон за стручно образование и обука) provides for vocational training pathways aimed at occupations with lower entry requirements and an emphasis on practical skills. Depending on occupational complexity, vocational training may last up to two years. These programmes are open to learners who have completed primary education; in cases where participants have not completed primary school, vocational training may still be offered but is coupled with an obligation to complete primary education alongside the vocational course.

Secondary education is free of charge in public schools and is regulated by the Law on Secondary Education and the Law on Vocational Education and Training. Instruction is offered in Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish, and students may also enrol in officially recognised private secondary schools. Higher education (ISCED 5–7) is delivered by autonomous higher education institutions and research institutes and includes undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies. 

The Law on Higher Education frames the system’s alignment with the Bologna Process and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), and provides the legal basis for teacher and student mobility. As part of inclusive access and lifelong learning measures, the state has also introduced initiatives such as Project 35/45 to promote higher-education participation among older cohorts.

Adult education is an integral part of the national education framework, offering formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities for adults who meet prior compulsory education requirements (and, in some schemes, for others without formal student status). Activities in adult learning are regulated by the Law on Adult Education (Закон за образование на возрасните) together with the Law on Vocational Education and Training, and encompass professional upskilling, specialisation and broader lifelong-learning provision.

Main concepts

Education in North Macedonia is guided by principles of inclusivity, equal opportunity, and lifelong learning, with particular attention to social cohesion, labor market alignment, and the provision of practical skills. Recent reforms aim to expand access for students from vulnerable or marginalized groups, strengthen inclusive practices, and integrate digital and innovative learning methodologies throughout the education system.