Albanian students protest in Skopje over exam language rights
Albanian students in North Macedonia have staged a protest after being barred from taking their jurisprudence exam in their mother tongue, Albanian.
They gathered in central Skopje, holding placards demanding their rights, CE Report quotes ATA.
One of the banners read: “Law on paper, discrimination in practice”, reflecting their frustration over being denied the right to sit exams in their mother tongue. The protest drew not only a large number of students but also citizens who joined in solidarity.
Albanian students in North Macedonia continued their protest outside the Ministry of Justice, demanding the right to take the jurisprudence exam in Albanian, as provided by law.
The exam, which is essential for pursuing legal professions such as lawyer, judge, or prosecutor, is in practice conducted mainly in Macedonian, despite Albanian holding official language status.
Albanian students in North Macedonia contend that restrictions on taking the jurisprudence exam in their mother tongue create significant barriers and inequalities. They say the policy limits professional opportunities and directly affects the representation of Albanians within the country’s judicial system.
They have set out clear demands in their protest, calling for the jurisprudence exam to be conducted entirely in Albanian, with equal procedures for all candidates and the full enforcement of language rights provided by law.
