Regionalization is the main problem this year when enrolling first graders in Stip. Two lawsuits for segregation of Roma before the courts in the country and in Strasbourg strengthened the position of the municipality that the regionalization will be consistently respected.
One of the schools where there are the most requests for transfer is "Goce Delchev", it is also one of the defendants together with the municipality of Stip and the Ministry of education. Out of 170 children on the list, only 15 first graders have been enrolled in the school ten days before the end of the enrollment period.
Following a complaint by the European Roma Rights Center for the Segregation of Roma Students, the Commission for Protection against Discrimination in February adopted a general recommendation that regionalization in all municipalities be strictly observed, principals not sign parental requests, and the MES strengthen them. the criteria for transferring from one school to another.
Parents who want their right to choose to be respected do not agree with that. After receiving announcements from the municipality that the requests will not be accepted, some of them do not want to wait until August, so they change their addresses.
According to Article 63 of the Law on Primary Education, parents have the right to enroll their children in other schools. The only condition is that the school where they want to enroll the child has vacancies after the enrollment deadline.
