Influencing factors on further development of bilingual education in Macedonia

Abstract

Macedonia has implemented bilingualism in schools for more than a decade. However, this bilingualism has been realized in a step-by-step program in the Macedonian schools by introducing minorities to bilingual programs first starting from primary, then secondary and lately tertiary education in mother language of minorities. This approach was originally thought to help minority students learn the majority language and in that way find their way in the market economy. In practice, bilingual programs in Macedonian schools as well as teacher training programs in the state universities have limited view of what it means to have bilingual education, professional bilingual teachers, and how these teachers should teach bilingual students. This paper explores how political, social, and economic developments in one country influences by further developing or limiting bilingual education in all levels in Macedonia and how bilingualism in schools can be misused for the government to keep the minorities oppressed. This paper will overview the major political and educational events that took place in Macedonia that concern and seriously affected further development of bilingual education in the country.

Keywords: bilingual education, bilingualism;  Macedonia, political events