Review Ordered into Controversial Macedonia School Books

Review boards will begin assembling on Monday to launch a month-long inquiry into the standard of the books' content, Nikola Todorov said.

He told local broadcaster A1 TV: “We have to start pinpointing those who made mistakes.”

The revision comes amid a series of widely reported flaws in the New Elementary School Society textbook for primary school pupils which had been approved by the state.

Macedonian pop stars and celebrities were portrayed as distinguished cultural figures and former government ministers and ambassadors to the country were wrongfully included as present office holders.

The book is being rewritten on the orders of the education ministry.

Other state-approved textbooks have also been slammed, including a physics book which gave a wrong description of ions and allegedly contained pictures illegally copied from Croatian manuals.

Todorov said two out of three members of a board who assessed it had voted for it to be approved.

The textbooks for fifth grade students are to be reviewed by the National Commission for Textbooks, the Bureau for Educational Development and experts at faculties across the country, he said.

The opposition Social Democrats have called for Todorov's resignation, but he has insisted he was not directly to blame for the mistakes.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has not commented on the controversy.