New Bulgarian Government Embarks on Reforms

The new GERB cabinet, namely Education Minister, Yordanka Fandakova, and Sergey Ignatov, who succeeded her after she was elected Mayor of Sofia in November, vowed to realize the much needed and long-overdue educational reform. Business has continuously complained that the country’s university education is of poor quality; Bulgaria’s top universities fail to find enough students while survey after survey revealed many Bulgarian high school students are illiterate, lack basic knowledge and skills, views all shared by Ignatov, who is a former President of the New Bulgarian.

The ambitious plan includes everything from revising textbooks, looking at providing adequate funding, establishing new university entrance exams to uniforms, behavior grades and throwing out junk food from school cafeterias.

In November, Sergey Ignatov, vowed to personally read all school textbooks that have received complaints from parents and students of being difficult to comprehend. He followed an August move of his predecessor Fandakova, who asked the Bulgarian State National Security Agency (DANS) to investigate the school textbook endorsement process. According to Ignatov, the textbooks are the culprit for the high level of illiteracy and ignorance among Bulgaria's school students.

Corruption Scandal at Sofia Economic University

In the meantime, a corruption scandal shook the University of National and World Economy in Sofia where, Associate Professor Petkan Iliev, allegedly, was the mastermind behind a corruption scheme in which students paid between BGN 300 and BGN 4 000 to be admitted to the university, or to pass their exams. Iliev was fired.

Money for Education

In October, one of Bulgaria’s Deputy Education Ministers informed that BGN 2,6 B have been provided for education from the Budget 2010 – an amount approximately equal to the budgets of the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry.

In December, Bulgarian teachers became the only public sector employees who are to receive a “well deserved”, according to Ignatov, end-of-year bonus salary.

New Entrance Requirements at Sofia University

Also in November, the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” announced it would introduce a new, uniform entrance exam. Instead of writing lengthy essays that have often been memorized by heart, the students will sit for a modified test changing the long-lasting, obsolete application process and eliminating the need for students to take private lessons.

Finance Minister Passes Controversial Judgment on Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Despite all stated good intentions Ignatov and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, managed to stir a huge controversy with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) over intentions to drastically reduce its budget, close institutes and a draft law on the development of academic staff proposed by Ignatov, providing that each college and university should have as many professors and associate professors as it wants. In response BAS sent a letter to Prime Minister Borisov, pointing out in no uncertain terms the consequences of cutting their budget and asking for help. They drew attention to the irony of timing of the announcement of the cut of BGN 10 M, which had occurred on the same day as a positive international assessment of BAS was published. BAS also says thousands of new professors will appear, academic titles will become terms of ridicule rather than respect, and the draft law will lower requirements for quality standards. They further demand apologies from Djankov who called them “feudal i.e. obsolete old men.” Djankov refuses to apologize.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!