The lack of textbooks or the use of damaged textbooks in teaching, insufficient care for the mental health of students, the lack of educational assistants for students with disabilities in secondary schools and the impact of the energy crisis on the work of schools are noted in the Information of the Ombudsman on the identified weaknesses in the exercise of the right of education and the implementation of the educational process in primary and secondary schools in the country, which is submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science.

Although the 2022/2023 school year has begun, the Information states, public reactions to the lack of textbooks for primary and secondary school students do not stop. Parents and students react due to the lack of printed textbooks for all teaching subjects, and they also complain about the dilapidation of the available textbooks.

-Students who attend classes in the first, second, fourth and fifth grades inform that they have not received sets of printed textbooks for all subjects according to the curriculum and program, which indicates that students from these grades started the school year with learning materials in printed form, in which the contents of several teaching subjects are combined. The ombudsman also noted the lack of textbooks for the English language subject this school year, so instead of using a textbook, according to the allegations, teachers and students are using excerpts from older textbooks and other sources of materials according to the curriculum. According to the information of the Ombudsman, there have been no officially approved English language textbooks for years.

Students complain that an additional problem is that most of the received textbooks are seriously damaged, to the point of unusability, which is why parents are exposed to the expense of printing the electronic versions of the textbooks. Through the media, the Union of Secondary School Students reacted to this, stating that the students either received very damaged textbooks from which they cannot learn, or some of them did not receive textbooks at all. This problem is present in several secondary schools in Skopje, Bitola, Prilep, Veles, Delčevo and other cities. According to them, the lack of textbooks is especially characteristic for vocational subjects in secondary vocational schools.

The ombudsman points to the current Law on textbooks for primary and secondary education, according to which the textbook can be used for five school years, except for textbooks that have contents that the student fills in by writing, coloring, cutting and pasting, as well as textbooks for the first, second and third grade.

-Taking into account that the new school year began with the implementation of teaching with physical presence, without exception for all students, petitions were submitted to our institution from parents who expressed concern about this decision, pointing out that this way of implementing teaching is a challenge for the chronically ill children and parents, as well as other members of the immediate family, especially considering that the pandemic is still current, as well as the measures to protect against Covid-19, and in that direction for the sake of uninterrupted education without calling into question the health of chronically ill children , but also the health of the chronically ill persons in the students' families as persons at risk, requested an intervention in order to give the opportunity to continue teaching with distance learning for these children this school year, it is stated in the Information of the Ombudsman.

Given that the school year is in progress and the Covid-19 pandemic is still present, the Ombudsman recommends the Ministry to request an expert opinion from the Commission for Infectious Diseases regarding the method of monitoring the teaching of chronically ill children and students who have chronically ill persons in their families. At the same time, he reminds that everyone involved in the teaching process should take care and contribute to the safe and smooth development of the educational process of the children.

The report also refers to the tragic event in the high school "Rade Jovcevski Korchagin" - Skopje, which it says has seriously shaken the public and opened up many questions that require serious analysis, including the issue of taking care of the mental health of students and how important it is. of the analysis and work of the teaching and professional staff from the school professional services. The Ombudsman states that a small number of students had support from the pedagogical-psychological service, and in a small number of schools lectures were held on the topic of improving psychological well-being.

- Bearing in mind the above, as well as the recent event in which a high school student took his own life, the Ombudsman points out that schools, in addition to educational activity, make a key contribution to the emotional and cognitive development of children and have a significant role in social development and change . Consequently, school employees, teaching staff and professional teams, given their significant role in the child protection process, need to approach children's needs and concerns sensitively, taking care of their rights, privacy and dignity, the Report states. .

The Ombudsman is of the opinion that the Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with other relevant ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy), and in coordination and cooperation with schools, institutions for the protection of children, as well as local governments continuously should take actions and measures to protect the mental health, as well as the safety of students in the school and outside it.

Also, the professional collaborators in the schools need to be educated and trained for the early detection of problems in the mental health of children, to recognize the signs of disturbed mental health, in order to prevent, prevent and minimize unpleasant events that threaten health, well-being, and the life of students, respecting the rights of children and their best interest.

It also states that there is a lack of educational and personal assistants for students with disabilities included in regular schools and that this represents a serious barrier to the smooth realization of the right to education for every child.

-Considering the lack of educated assistants in the last school year, it is positive to point out that this school year students with disabilities attending classes in municipal primary schools will be supported by a total of 720 educational assistants provided by the Ministry of Education and Science, which is a significant increase on the number of hired assistants compared to last year. The Ombudsman welcomes the Ministry's decision to increase the number of educational assistants, also indicates to continuously monitor the situation, with the aim of fair and timely allocation of educational assistants for children from primary education who need this type of learning support for a smooth education . In this context, the Ombudsman points to the need for continuous cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Culture with the competent bodies for functional assessment in order to regularly assess the real need, and thus provide timely additional educational assistants, such as all students for whom this type of support they need to be able to exercise their right, says the Ombudsman's Report.

In relation to the above, a problem noted this school year is that educational assistants are not provided as a systemic and permanent solution for students with disabilities attending secondary schools.

- It is worrying that for students with disabilities in secondary schools, educational assistants will be provided with the support of UNDP through the inclusion of registered unemployed persons from the RSM Employment Agency in the program for Municipal useful work, and according to the knowledge of the Ombudsman, only a few municipalities in In August, the state announced public calls for the hiring of educational assistants, and the engagement is for a duration of nine months, for which they will receive monetary compensation for employment in the amount of 9.000 denars, which is why there is a great lack of interest on the part of potential candidates. According to the knowledge, the potential candidates who will deliver this service are generally not evaluated on the basis of their professional qualifications and competencies, and will provide support in the learning of children with disabilities, which is certainly a responsible task that should be done with maximum dedication and professionalism. indicates the Ombudsman.

Also, a problem pointed out by petitioners to the Ombudsman is that for students with disabilities from state secondary schools that are under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Science, it is not at all possible to receive educational assistance, so they, even during this school year they remain without the necessary support, which violates the right to quality education, and they are also treated unequally with other students, which is contrary to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the same must not allowed himself.

The Ombudsman recommends the intensification of activities by the Ministry of Education and Science with the aim of enacting a new Law on Secondary Education and harmonizing it with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in that direction the support for students with disabilities in secondary education (educational assistance) to be established as a system solution.

- Until then, given that the school year is in progress, the Ombudsman recommends that the Ministry, in accordance with its competences, take all measures to enable uninterrupted education and support from an educational assistant for every child with a disability who attends classes in public secondary schools under the Ministry's jurisdiction. , while, in cooperation with the local self-government, a solution should be found for the students with disabilities included in the municipal high schools, states the Ombudsman.

Regarding the current energy crisis in the country, it is stated in the Report, from the point of view of respecting and unhindered realization of the right to education of the children/students, taking into account the competences of this Ministry, which finances the heating through block grants to the municipalities, and the management of the funds is the responsibility of the local self-government, indicates that it is necessary for the Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with the local government, the directors of the schools at the local and central level, through conducting a comprehensive analysis, to perceive the current state of readiness of the schools for the heating season, all with the aim of smooth implementation of the educational process for children in winter conditions.

- According to the Ombudsman, it is necessary to take all measures for the smooth running of the teaching process in schools, with special attention to monitor the effects of the measures in conditions of an energy crisis and of course their impact on the rights of the child, reminding that the adoption any measure that affects children should be reviewed in advance from the perspective of the best interest of the child, with the aim of smooth and quality education for every child, it is stated in the Report on the perceived situation in education, which the Ombudsman submitted to the Ministry of Education and science.