Key Points:
Support for reform: AIBEST welcomes the Ministry’s efforts to improve education quality, which is crucial for Bulgaria’s economic growth and competitiveness.
Concerns about the current draft:
- The proposed amendments address isolated issues with partial solutions rather than taking a systemic, strategic approach.
- Some changes—such as introducing religious education, repeater years in Grade 1, and changes to the status of math schools—lack expert analysis, political consensus, and convincing justification.
Recommendation for process improvement:
- AIBEST proposes the formation of expert working groups with a clear mandate to review and improve the draft law before it is submitted to Parliament.
- These changes should be aligned with long-term national goals, including updated curricula, assessment reforms, STEM promotion, and vocational education modernization.
Specific concern: Changes to math and science high schools:
- The draft shifts admission pressure from Grade 7 to Grade 4 without solving the root problem—low STEM literacy.
- Early specialization risks losing future STEM talent who develop interest later.
- AIBEST calls for withdrawal of this specific proposal and urges a comprehensive STEM strategy targeting all students, not just a few elite schools.
Missing priority:
- The proposal lacks a quality and value-added assessment system to track student progress and evaluate education policies.
Conclusion:
AIBEST reaffirms its readiness to actively contribute to the reform process and encourages deeper cooperation with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to achieve sustainable, evidence-based improvements in Bulgaria’s education system.
👉 Read the full text (in Bulgarian) here.
