site.btaNearly 10% of Teachers in Bulgarian Schools Are Pensioners or at Retirement Age - Trade Union

Out of the teachers working in all types of schools in Bulgaria, 9.38% are pensioners or at retirement age, shows data of the Ministry of Education and Science quoted by the Education Trade Union with the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour on Wednesday. In kindergartens, this share exceeds 15%.

The highest number of teachers who are pensioners or at retirement age has been recorded in the city of Sofia: 876 at retirement age and 1,613 working pensioners. Next is Varna Region with 157 teachers at retirement age and 249 working pensioners, followed by Stara Zagora Region with 105 and 164 teachers, respectively.

Teachers and school principals in Bulgaria number 95,574, according to data of the Centre for Information Provision in Education. Principals who are working pensioners or at retirement age amount to 19.4% or 299 and 155, respectively. The education system organises competitions for principals, but there is a downward trend in the number of candidates, the trade union said. Out of the 276 schools where a competition is underway, 33 have zero applicants and the rest have 415 applicants in total, meaning that 1.5 teachers on average are competing for one position.

The trade union commented that in these competitions, the applicants are assessed by commissions without the participation of teachers, principals and trade union representatives. Participating are representatives of the Municipal Council without pedagogical education, which is offensive to the future leaders of educational institutions, the trade union added.

"The salaries of teachers and principals at the levels of 125% above the average gross wage for Bulgaria fail to stir interest in young teachers, due to the brutal increase in requirements for pedagogical specialists and the frequent recommendations and accusations by many institutions, parents and their organizations directed at them," the trade union said further.