site.btaSofia University's Theology Faculty Dean: Graduates Wish to Teach Religion and Are Prepared

In an interview for BTA, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Naydenov, commented on the idea to reintroduce religious education in Bulgarian schools. The Faculty of Theology has the commitment to prepare teachers, and those who graduate wish to teach religion and are well-intentioned and prepared, he told BTA's Dimitrina Vetova.

Enough time to prepare teachers

"It is speculated that at the moment we have to provide thousands of teachers in religion, but this is not the case because the idea is to start teaching the subject in first grade, which means that in 12 years we will have filled the places in all schools," said Naydenov.

"We have 12 years to prepare the relevant teachers, because even if we had prepared specialists 20 or 30 years ago, because of their biological clock, some of them might not have taken this up. Now we have time to prepare teachers, there are programmes and opportunities and qualifications to work with primary teachers," explained the Dean of the Faculty of Theology.

"We have several programme at the Faculty, we have a Master's programme, we have a postgraduate programme, we have good cooperation with the Ministry of Education, and twice a year we organize courses in the so-called qualification programme, under which teachers come to us. They have a teaching qualification and within 300 hours, in one year, they also acquire the opportunity to be teachers in religion. In the last two years, we have had about 200 people who have gone through this training, and this also depends on the good role of the school principals and the Regional Education Offices. We also teach non-denominational - we have the ability to administer this type of training as well," said Naydenov.

Over 2,000 graduates in Theology in 20 years

Over 2,000 people have graduated in Theology in the last 20 years, and most of them are probably teachers, he went on to say.

There are two philosophy faculties in Bulgaria - in Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo, and in Shumen and Plovdiv there are departments. But all these four institutions work under the so-called science code 2.4 Religion and Theology, he explained.

“As the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University, I am in favour of introducing a compulsory course in religion, because the possibility of the discipline being an elective or optional gives the opportunity on site - principals, representatives of the Regional Education Departments - to sometimes have difficulties with offering it,” Naydenov said.

"Let us leave the Ministry of Education to do its job related to the Virtues and Religions subject. Dozens of new subjects were introduced over the years and no one ever raised an issue, and now everyone has become an expert in religion. Things are sensitive and should not be made black and white but what we make them," Naydenov commented.

Education in Bulgaria to remain secular

Regarding concerns about Bulgarian education' secularity, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology told BTA that education in Bulgaria is secular and will remain so. 

"Over the years, I have taught Morals and Law and all sorts of other subjects, and no one raised such a question then. If someone feels religious studies, religion, or whatever the new subject is going to be called, is a threat to their views, that is their problem. For us, it is an opportunity that we have to give to the children, and time will tell whether it will happen or not. The change to be made to the Pre-School and School Education Act is to introduce the subject into the group of compulsory subjects. Religion is now in the group of elective subjects, and it is planned to change its status and exactly what it will be called," explained Naydenov.

Religion studied in many European countries

In his words, it is evident that everywhere in Europe there is a subject related to religion, and the differences are in its status and in the way it is perceived as confessionally bound, representing a particular confession - religion, or such a subject that is in the spirit of ethics and history.

"Knowledge related to religion is needed at a time when a large percentage of wars are fought on religious grounds, where conflicts are again generated on such grounds. When we talk in the world about a multicultural society where there are mixed marriages between members of different religious communities, the most important thing is to know each other and to know the specifics of religion," said the Dean of the Faculty of Theology.