site.btaEurope Is Culture, Education, Solidarity, Partnership, Shared Values, Says Executive Director of Education Programme Executive Agency

Europe is culture, education, solidarity, partnership and shared values, Ivan Popov, Executive Director of the Education Programme Executive Agency, said during a local conference in the Maxim Hall in the BTA building in Sofia on Friday. The event was part of BTA’s Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. 

"Today is an important day, namely Europe Day, but we are also on the eve of May 24, the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius and of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture and of Slavic Literature", he noted, adding that it is good to take stock of what Bulgaria receives as a member of the European Union for the country's education, but also what efforts Bulgaria makes in order to be able to reach the highest achievements in this area of ​​the European peoples.

He pointed out that support for Bulgarian education begins with Bulgaria's membership in the EU, adding that at that time, a significant resource from the European Social Fund was provided. "Unfortunately, in these first years of our membership, the focus of national policy was directed at basic infrastructure. We had to catch up in other areas. At that time, we did not have an independent education base. The measures were implemented within the framework of the Human Resources Development Programme," Popov recalled.

He noted that since 2014, during the second programming period, there has been the first independent Operational Programme Science and Education for Smart Growth. At that time, there was also a resource for Bulgarian science worth BGN 430 million for investments and the construction of new scientific centres in the country. After that, there were significant results, namely over 80,000 children and over 170,000 students from vulnerable groups were sustainably included in education, Popov emphasized, adding that over 1 million profiles have been digitally created for each student and teacher.

The connection with the labor market has been supported and over 22,000 student internships and over 90,000 student internships have been conducted as well, Popov stated, adding that a total of 160 vocational high schools have joined the dual education system and 16 new high-tech scientific centres have been built in the country.

"The good performance and the results I am talking about made it possible to negotiate with the European Commission during the current programming period a twice as large resource for Bulgarian education, namely BGN 1.9 billion," Popov stressed.

Under the Education Programme, funds are being invested for higher qualification of teachers, he noted, recalling that eight new kindergartens are being built in Sofia. Ivan Popov added that projects for student internships have also started. According to him, another BGN 1 billion are to be opened in 2025 for programmes and projects related to education. 

BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.