Around 4 million absences recorded in Kosovo schools — Minister Çeku announces measures
Education Ministry officials confirmed nearly 4 million student absences across Kosovo pre-university schools and announced new measures aimed at improving attendance.
PRISHTINA, April 26, 2026 — Latest figures from the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation have revealed an alarming statistic: about four million absences have been logged across Kosovo primary and secondary schools during the current academic year. The issue was discussed at a meeting on Saturday in the capital, where proposals to reverse the trend were also presented.
According to officials, widespread absences are directly affecting learning outcomes and international assessment results, where Kosovo continues to rank near the bottom. The bulk of absences occurs in the upper years of secondary school, where many students either work outside school hours or attend private preparatory courses for entrance exams.
New plan for discipline and prevention
The ministry is drafting a new administrative instruction that will tie academic performance to class attendance. Cooperation with municipal education directorates is also planned to build better reporting systems and to notify parents of daily absences.
Through their union, teachers have responded by asking that, before any sanctions on pupils are introduced, the social and economic causes that push young people to skip school be analysed. Several school principals in Prizren and Ferizaj have pointed out that in some classrooms absences exceed 30 percent.
Deputy Minister Edon Çeku said “these numbers are not just a statistic — they show the system is failing to keep children in the classroom,” adding that the solution requires joint commitment from institutions and families.
Education experts stress that without investment in after-school programmes, psycho-social counselling and curriculum modernisation, administrative measures will have limited effect. They argue the absence problem reflects a deeper crisis of student motivation and trust in the system.
The ministry is expected to publish the detailed plan during May, alongside public consultations with parents, teachers and youth organisations.
Source: Telegrafi.