site.btaEducation Ministry Approves New National Programmes on Road Safety, School Bullying

Twenty-two national education development programmes were approved by the Education Ministry's Sectoral Council here on Friday. Two of the programmes are new and address road traffic safety and school bullying prevention, the Ministry said in a press release said.

More than BGN 4,000,000 will be invested in the first programme, which is intended to develop competences for responsible road safety behaviour in children and pupils by supporting road safety training, building training facilities, using an interactive road safety app, and providing vehicles for transporting children and pupils.

The new National Programme for School Bullying and Aggression Prevention follows up on activities implemented in 2023 under the aggression-free school and safe school environment module of the National Programme Supporting the Personal Development of Children and Pupils. The measures will cost BGN 500,000 will cover a larger number of schools and include kindergartens as well.

The National Programme for the Implementation of the National Standardized External Assessment includes activities intended to prepare schools for the 2025 PISA survey.

A Programme for the Incorporation of Information and Communication Technology into Pre-school and School Education will focus on improving the competences of pupils, teachers, and management teams in cyber security and safe internet use.

New modules will be included in three education development programmes: Bulgarian Educational Routes, Vocational Education and Training, and Prevention and Rehabilitation of Education Professionals. The BGN 500,000 Bulgaria Educational Routes Programme targets Bulgarian Sunday schools that are supported by the Education Ministry and state schools abroad.

At Friday's Sectoral Council meeting, Education and Science Minister Galin Tzokov, deputy ministers, Education Ministry experts , and social partners also discussed a vision to design a quality standard in education and procedures for setting up STEM classrooms in schools.