Kosovo’s new school year will begin on September 1, the Ministry of Education and Science has confirmed, dismissing reports circulating on social media that classes had been postponed until September 15.
With less than two weeks remaining before the start of the academic year, however, many parents say they remain unclear about preparations and possible changes to the education system.
Officials from the Ministry confirmed that classes will begin on September 1 across all school levels throughout Kosovo, with the exception of schools that may still be undergoing renovation work.
The clarification comes after posts circulated on social media claiming that the start of the school year had been postponed. The reports caused concern among parents, some of whom contacted local media to complain about what they described as a lack of timely information from the authorities.
At the same time, parents have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Ministry’s decision to continue the current system of subsidizing school textbooks.
The Prishtina Parents’ Council criticized the authorities for failing to take their recommendations into account, arguing that textbooks should be provided and distributed directly through schools under a centrally coordinated system.
“Our position has been clear from the beginning: school textbooks should be provided and distributed through schools, with standardized textbooks from a publisher selected at the central level,” the council said.
According to the council, leaving textbook selection to individual schools or classes has created differences, confusion and additional difficulties for teachers and students.
Parents also pointed to problems experienced during the previous school year, saying many students did not receive all the textbooks they needed, in some cases for a substantial part of the academic year.
They cited shortages in the market, delays in supply and difficulties faced by families in purchasing textbooks on time. In some classrooms, students reportedly used different textbooks for the same subject, creating additional challenges for teachers and students.
The Parents’ Council has also called for secondary school students to be included in the textbook subsidy scheme.
“It is not acceptable for this category to remain outside institutional support,” the council said, arguing that secondary school students continue to bear the full cost of their textbooks despite other categories of citizens receiving subsidies.
Parents say the costs associated with education extend beyond textbooks, including transportation expenses, long queues at bookstores, shortages of books and significant time spent trying to obtain the required materials.
The council argues that a centralized textbook procurement and distribution system would reduce these problems and ensure that every student begins the school year with the necessary materials.
It has urged the relevant institutions to reconsider the current approach, engage more closely with parents and introduce a system that is more equitable, functional and consistent for students across Kosovo.
