site.btaProtest under Slogan "School Is Not Church" Held in Sofia

A protest under the slogan "School is not a church" took place Thursday evening outside the Ministry of Education and Science building in Sofia. The demonstration was organized in opposition to a proposed new school subject titled "Virtues and Religions."

"What worries us most is that this subject will divide rather than unite students, splitting them between religious and atheist perspectives," 19-year-old protest organizer Hristo Georgiev told reporters. "This kind of division has no place in a 21st-century school environment," he added. 

Georgiev, who recently returned from Germany, described the protest as part of his advocacy for a more equitable and high-quality education system. "We will also demand the resignation of [Education and Science] Minister Krasimir Valchev at this protest because he is allowing a shift away from secular education,” he added.

Asked about the fact that parents will have the option to choose whether their children study "Virtues and Ethics," Georgiev said that the issue is that the textbooks and curriculum will be developed with the involvement of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which, in his words, is not the appropriate body for this task. "This work should be done by historians, cultural scholars, and experts from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who can present the facts in a neutral way.” Georgiev also raised concerns that moral values would be taught through religious examples.

He proposed the introduction of subjects such as media literacy, financial literacy, and emotional and sexual education.

On Wednesday, Minister Krasimir Valchev said that the purpose of this new subject is to reinforce the educational role of Bulgarian schools and promote virtues education. He clarified that religion will not be a mandatory subject, but will be offered as a compulsory elective.