IREX, the Bureau for the Development of Education, and the Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM), within the framework of USAID’s Media Literacy Project “Youth Think,” have launched the Media Literacy Framework for Primary Education. The document includes curricula for individual subjects from grades 1 through 9, where media literacy is integrated as a standalone topic with defined learning outcomes, content, and assessment standards. Since 2020, media literacy has been part of the curricula for native language instruction and, through various standards and activities, has been included in other subjects across all grades in primary education. These innovations aim to foster and develop students’ critical thinking through new teaching methods that involve using and creating media content.
“Today, we have a concrete framework for media literacy in primary education, and I wish for its successful implementation and achievement of the goals it defines. Previously, we prepared a guide on media literacy for parents and guardians, as well as a glossary of media literacy terms. As the challenge of recognizing and selecting accurate information grows, we are increasingly and better prepared to respond to and tackle misinformation,” stated Minister of Education and Science Jeton Shaqiri. He emphasized that teachers play a crucial role in integrating media literacy into primary education, as they need guidance and materials to successfully convey these contents to students.
The Director of USAID’s Office for General Development, Don Carmin, highlighted that the U.S. government invests in advancing media literacy because critical thinking is essential for building an informed and engaged society and strengthening democracy.

“We live in an era of information overload, and the spread of false and harmful information online and in traditional media can negatively affect our real-life decisions. This can influence choices about the food we consume, the medications we use, or the politicians we vote for,” Carmin noted.
The Media Literacy Framework for Primary Education was presented by Professor Violeta Petroska-Beska, who was part of the working group from the Bureau for Development of Education, IREX, and MIM that prepared the document.
“By integrating media literacy into education, students are equipped to think critically, use information wisely, create content responsibly, and recognize the role of media in their own culture,” Petroska-Beska pointed out. She also stressed that teachers themselves need to be media literate, requiring training during their education and as part of their professional development.

As part of the event, a panel discussion titled “Integrating Media Literacy in Primary Education – Experiences and Challenges” was held, where teachers involved in the project as trainers shared their experiences and challenges in teaching media literacy-related topics.
Since September 2023, IREX and MIM, in cooperation with the Bureau for Development of Education and the Ministry of Education and Science, have been conducting media literacy training sessions for all primary school teachers and native language teachers from grades 6 to 9 across the country. Manuals for the curriculum for grades 1 to 5 will soon be published.
The event was organized as part of USAID’s Media Literacy Project “Youth Think,” implemented by IREX and local partners: the Macedonian Institute for Media, the Institute of Communication Studies, and the Youth Educational Forum, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Bureau for the Development of Education.