Bulgarian Educational System Arts and Music in Inter (cultural) Action /AMICA/ 1st Comenius project meeting Venosa, Italy

Bulgaria Situated on the Balkan Peninsula A member of the EU since 2007 Bordering Romania to the North, Serbia and Macedonia to the West, Turkey and Greece to the South and the Black Sea to the East Population of approximately 7 million people Capital City – Sofia Official Language - Bulgarian

Bulgaria

Education Governing Body – The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science The Ministry designs the School Curriculum and sets the educational criteria To be educated is everybody’s right by Constitution Compulsory education – from 5 till 15 years of age Compulsory education is free Most schools are owned by the state

Levels of Education Pre-school education /5-6 year olds/ School education /7-19 year olds/ Higher education

Structure of Educational Levels Pre-school Education: 1111-3 years of age – crèches 3333-6 years of age – kindergartens They are optional. The alternative is family care. Most of the crèches and kindergartens are owned by the state. Only about 5% are private.

Recent Developments at pre-school level In the year 2010 an obligatory pre-school educational level was introduced for the children aged 5, aiming at their adequate preparation for schooling /especially for the children from the minorities for whom Bulgarian is not their mother tongue/. In the year 2010 an obligatory pre-school educational level was introduced for the children aged 5, aiming at their adequate preparation for schooling /especially for the children from the minorities for whom Bulgarian is not their mother tongue/. A new policy of providing a whole-day school training was introduced and experimentally implemented with the first graders. A new policy of providing a whole-day school training was introduced and experimentally implemented with the first graders.

Recent Developments at pre-school level These 2 years of school-preparatory course /from 5 to 7 years of age/ cover the last two grades at kindergarten for those who attend it or 2 initial grades at school for the children who have been in family care.

Structure of Educational Levels School Education 7777-11 years of age – Primary School 11112-15 years of age – Basic School 11116-18/19 years of age – Secondary School

Structure of Educational Levels At the age of 11 /4th school grade/ students sit for a State Standardized Test for measuring their academic achievement. They have to pass it in order to continue their education. At the age of 14/15 /7th school grade/ students can choose whether to continue their education at a Foreign Language or Mathematical School or at some Vocational school. They sit for entrance exams in Bulgarian Language and Literature and Mathematics.

Higher Education It covers three degrees: FFFFirst degree – 4 years of study – Bachelor’s Degree SSSSecond degree – 5 years of study or 1 year after obtaining Bachelor’s Degree – Master’s Degree TTTThird degree – 3 years of study after completing the Master’s Degree – Doctor’s Degree

Educational Priorities Early Foreign Language Teaching – starting from the second school grade Studying of two foreign languages is obligatory ICT in education - as a separate subject from the first grade till the end of education and as a complimentary device in all the subjects

State Exams At the age of 11 students sit for a State Exam on all the subjects they have studied in the course of Primary School level. At the age of 19 students sit for a School- leaving State Exam on Bulgarian Language and Literature and a subject of their choice. Some universities accept students on the basis of their marks at these exams. Others organize special entrance examinations.

Recent developments Since the year 2008 all the educational institutions are on delegated budgets The School-leaving State Exam became a fact in the year 2008 A big reform in the structure of the school system and the educational curriculum is currently under open discussion and is due to take place soon.