The Aerodrom municipality will pay out 3,500 denars for every first-grader enrolled in the primary schools on its territory. It's a one-off payment that won't cover the whole cost of the start of the school year, but for many families it's a welcome breather before the most expensive school month.

The conditions are clear. Children enrolled in first grade at the municipality's schools, whose families live on its territory, are eligible. The application requires proof of enrolment, a birth certificate, a copy of an ID card with an Aerodrom address, and a copy of a bank account.

Applications run from 15 June to 30 September, with the forms available on the municipal website. Mayor Dejan Miteski wished all future first-graders a successful start, with plenty of knowledge and friendships.

The gesture is nice and concrete, and measures exactly like this are ones citizens feel directly. Still, it's worth a reminder: when one municipality can find money for every first-grader, the question of why the others can't becomes a political one, not a financial one. Help for parents shouldn't depend on which part of the city you happen to live in.