The ethnic minorities whose languages are in the same or similar group of the languages of the majority or the official language of the state where they live, they can more easily overcome the language barrier. They integrated faster and easier in all sociable processes, in science and higher education. However, some statistical data show how some ethnic minorities have been assimilated. During periods of time, they lost part of their own ethnic identity. These examples do not have to refer to only the ethnic minorities whose languages are origin of the same group of languages.

The process of linguistic and ethnic assimilation has existed between the ethnic minorities, whose languages do not standardize in the world scientific area yet. For example the Wallach minority (in the Republic of Macedonia but in the others states) has been assimilated but they have used their language and a culture in their private life. They have not any problem with their participation in the science or in education at the Universities in the Republic of Macedonia or anywhere.

In the Republic of Macedonia, at the Pedagogical Faculty in Štip has put great efforts to establish the Wallach language as a facultative subject. The Pedagogical Faculty in Skopje aims to do the same to establish the Roma language and the Bosnian language.

Experiences, Challenges and Perspectives in the Republic of Macedonia

How much the use of the language of minorities in higher education can be a barrier or a motive for un-stability in countries or regions and disturb the peace and the relationship between the citizens has shown in the last events in the Balkan countries.

Republic of Macedonia as a multiethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious state has already existed for sixty years. Through all these years, the human rights of the ethnic minorities have increased.

According to the First Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia (1944), afterwards according to the Constitution established in 1991, when the Republic of Macedonia become independent state, the Albanian and Turkish minorities have educated themselves in their own languages in the elementary and the secondary school.

They can study at the Philological Faculties, which have established Departments of Albanian, Turkish, Serbian Croatian and Slovenian Language and Literature and the Faculty of Drama Arts. At the Pedagogical Faculties, the students study to be teachers in primary and secondary schools in Albanian and Turkish language.

The languages of minorities were not used in state universities until 2003. However, according to the Law on Higher Education of 2000, a private university has been established, The South East Europe University of Tetovo, where courses are taught in Albanian, Macedonian and English. In 2003, the Law on Higher Education has been changed to incorporate a state university in Tetovo, where courses are being taught in Albanian and Macedonian. Currently there are four universities in Macedonia. Three of those are state universities: one in Skopje, one in Bitola, both using Macedonian language, and one in Tetovo using Albanian and Macedonian. The fourth university is privately owned, The South East Europe University in Tetovo, uses Albanian, Macedonian and English.

According to these changes, the state University in Tetovo will open on 4 th October 2004, where the teaching of all subjects is in Albanian and Macedonian language. The Macedonian language state Universities have introduced the rule of "positive discrimination" for the members of the all-ethnic minorities. It means that minorities have some priorities in admission. In general, not all these efforts of the State are sufficient reason to motivate and to make bigger progress in the access to the ethnic minorities in higher education and science.

For the Albanian minority, the use of the Albanian language in all levels of education has been the most important for their prosperity in all forms of the personal, social and sociable life, including their participation in science and higher education.

The fact that the ethnic minorities study the Macedonian language only as a subject, in primary and secondary school for two or three times a week, make them at the beginning of their study less able then the others to follow the university lectures only in Macedonian.

At the beginning, future graduates are faced with additional problem, which will follow them until the end of their study. In order to surmount the language obstacle they have to be enough eloquent in Macedonian as others. If you want to have excellent marks or finish your university degree, to pass the M.A. or to pass the Ph. D. final with excellent records, in spite of an excellent knowledge you have to show good communication skills. This and many other reasons, such as: social, traditional, religious or financial make many frustrations in their life.

There are at least two reasons why I stress out the importance of the right to educate themselves in all levels in the Albanian language.

The first of all is that they had this right in the former Yugoslavia. In the Autonomous Region of Kosovo, which was a part of the former Yugoslavia. There, the Albanian language was official language in all fields of the life in the community. Many Albanians from the Republic of Macedonia had gone to study in Kosovo. After the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, they lost this right, the right to educate in their own language in own state. According to the International Law, a right once earned can not be revoked. The Republic of Macedonia was obliged to obey this law.

The second reason is that the Albanian is the largest minority in the Republic of Macedonia. It is more then 25%. It is the high risk to have more than one quarter of the population dissatisfied with the status in their own country. This problem was and can be the reason of political or social instability in the country. Peace was achieved in 2001, but the question is why we had to spend more then ten years. The consequences of that exist and the efforts to overcome them are very sensitive. The rules of law are not enough. We need to mobilize all citizens, no matter what is their ethnic origin. The Government and all the state's body, NGO's, political parties, scientists, professors, intellectuals, must be organized to promote and explain the real situation in the country. They also must work very transparently and be perfectly candid. The confidence can be lost very fast and easy, but to restore a confidence is a long and very hard work. Well-educated citizens are the best guarantee for the development of the country.

The Macedonian policy in the higher education and science is not a big enough motive for all citizens, especially for the ethnic minorities. The new policy of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Government can make better results. We expect them.

In the framework of these goals, with a considerable number of the ethnic minorities (almost 36% of population are ethnic minorities), the Government must be seriously responsible if it does not solve these issues in a positive way. Such a large minority rate that is not adequately integrated in higher education, science, research and development programs, can be very harmfully and risky for all. It makes a very negative picture if it includes the unemployment, too.

Not as a conclusion, I would like to express my opinion that only well educated citizens can be able to face with the challenges of the globalization in the World. The right to educate in one's language in all levels of education is one of "the human faces of the globalization".

The recommendation to the governments, or states should be to make a positive and motivated climate for all citizens, especially for all ethnic minorities to participate with larger number in higher education and science. The scholarships, better bilateral and multilateral, regional co-operation, use of European and world known criteria are only a few things for development. As the most important and universal recommendation for all is to affirm authentic knowledge such as unique criteria of success. In this case, the suspicion that the language of the ethnic minority can be a barrier to communicate between scientists can be written off. If the scientific discovery or research is significant, it is no matter in with language it is written.

Some Statistical data

Total population in the Republic of Macedonia age 15 and beyond, by educational levels and declaration of ethnic affiliation, Census of Population 2004

Bošnjacki jezik

"Draft National Programme for Development of Education in RM 2005-2001"; Republic of Macedonia is a member in Bologna process 2003;

State Statistical Office of the Republic of Macedonia

Republic of Macedonia Marija Miloševska http://www.ia-forum.org/Files/KHPMEE.doc