site.btaEducational Mediators Are Key Participants in Mechanism for Retaining Children in School - Minister Valchev

Educational mediators are key participants in the Mechanism for Enrolling and Retaining Children in School and for improving the inter-institutional coordination, Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev said here on Friday. He was in Plovdiv to meet with over 100 educational mediators from schools in the region, which has the largest number of children of Roma origin in the country.

Plovdiv Regional Governor Hristina Yancheva also attended the meeting. 

The Minister recalled that in recent years, funds have been provided from the state budget for the permanent financing of the employment relations of educational mediators. According to him, these are people from the communities themselves, who enjoy greater trust among children and their parents compared to external specialists. They ensure the sustainability of efforts to reach all children and guarantee their daily attendance.

Valchev noted that since the launch of the mechanism in 2017, it has become clear that when institutions work together, they can achieve good results in the initial enrollment of children. However, it is much more difficult to ensure their daily attendance at school. "Unfortunately, the education system does not have many measures to compel parents, but its strength is that it can create attitudes. And attitudes are the best tool, even if the results come more slowly," the Minister said.

"To date, we can say that there have been positive changes in attitudes, but they are still insufficient and uneven. In some places, progress has been greater, in others less so. That is why we must continue our efforts. Educational mediators play a very important role in this, because their work is invaluable for the future prospects of these children," Valchev underscored. He added that it is important for the Mechanism to function effectively in preschool age as well, where there has been a decline in recent years. According to him, the Mechanism works better where mayors are actively involved.

Research shows that when children are covered by the education system earlier, their chances of effective integration into the education system, reaching higher grades, and acquiring professional skills increase significantly. Attending kindergarten is also an important factor - the more years, the greater the opportunities for progress, the Education Minister argued. According to him, more children need to attend kindergarten. That is why compulsory education for 4-year-olds has been introduced and free kindergarten attendance has been provided.

The system encounters the most serious difficulties with children from Roma families who do not speak Bulgarian. "There is a significant percentage of children in the early stages who do not know Bulgarian. They have not spent enough time in kindergarten, and primary school teachers are unable to compensate for this deficit," Valchev explained. Therefore, the Preschool and School Education Act proposes the introduction of so-called "language integration," explained Minister Valchev. It provides for testing at the entrance to first grade or at the exit from kindergarten, as well as for children returning from abroad without sufficient command of Bulgarian. Children with insufficient language skills will begin learning only in Bulgarian until they reach a minimum level of communication. Those with lower proficiency will receive 200 hours of training, and those with a serious deficit will receive 500 hours. For those who are most behind, there will be a preparatory year. "Most education systems have this kind of language integration, and it helps a lot," the Minister said, adding that the system could be launched as early as next year, but initially on a limited scale to test it.