site.btaPresident: Future of Education Lies in More Flexibility, Innovative Models, Autonomy

The question of making education a strategic national priority is not being raised, President Rumen Radev said here on Tuesday. He was speaking at a roundtable on education as a key to historical memory, patriotism, and enlightened society. "Every day we listen about Schengen, the eurozone, the OECD, inflation, incomes, the need for investment and the highly qualified labour force. But the topic of the nation's prosperity bearer - children and young people of Bulgaria - is missing from the public and political debate," the head of State argued. 

He went on to say that the future of education lies in more flexibility, innovative models, and autonomy, which are the progressive models applied in Europe. The countries that achieved big success and progress rely precisely on this autonomy, Radev noted, adding that it should be applied and promoted in natural and mathematical sciences and in narrowly profiled vocational education. 

According to Radev, a debate should be held on whether in Bulgarian language and literature, geography, and history the State will be a moral and spiritual vector for the young generation's development.

In his words, modernization, digital and green transformation, increasing the standard and quality of living will not contribute so much to Bulgaria's development as a country, "unless we pass onto the coming generations the historical memory, values, and our nobility". "Will our young people in the future be able to withstand the seductions and pressure in a strongly aggressive global space, to uphold their Bulgarian national identity, unless we do so that Bulgarian authors are not dropped and are properly studied in Bulgarian language and literature textbooks," Radev added. "Will young people be able to withstand the challenges of the future, if in the history books our history is rewritten or forcefully banned?" Radev asked, stressing the importance of answering these questions.