Parliament Passes First-reading Revisions Introducing Virtues and Religion School Subject

Dimitrina Solakova, Teodora Tsaneva

MP seats and voting devices in plenary hall, Sofia, October 8, 2025 (BTA Photo/Milena Stoykova)

Sofia,

08.10.2025 16:06

(BTA)

Parliament adopted on first reading amendments to the Pre-school and School Education Act introduction a Virtues and Religion school subject. The revisions, tabled by the Council of Ministers, were passed with 169 votes in favour, 3 against, and 28 abstentions.

The amendments also introduce language support for children who do not have sufficient command of the Bulgarian language, annual rather than four-yearly teacher evaluation, and a new professional qualification in "early learning and care" covering the period from 0 to 7 years.

The deadline for proposals between the first and second reading will be a maximum of 28 days, the MPs also decided.

The National Assembly rejected two others bills to amend the Pre-school and School Education Act, tabled by MPs of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Elizaveta Belobradova and Nikolay Denkov.

The debates on the three bills lasted about five hours. The discussion focused on the proposed annual teacher evaluation and the new subject, Virtues and Religion.

The reasoning of the Council of Ministers' bill reads that the new compulsory subject aims to foster a sustainable moral culture, moral judgement and understanding of different points of view. It is proposed to be studied as an elective subject such as Religion - Orthodox Christianity, Religion - Islam, or Virtues/Ethics, and no grades will be given for this subject. Teachers will teach the subjects, no child will be forced to study religion against their will, and the main programme will be on virtues, explained Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev when presenting the draft changes.

The Council of Ministers' bill outlines two new types of language support: individualized integration training for pupils in first to fourth grade, which allows for accelerated initial learning of the Bulgarian language and their gradual integration into classes with pupils from the same grade, as well as a preparatory language class in a daytime, individual, evening, or distance learning format for pupils who do not speak Bulgarian at all.

A change is envisaged in the status of secondary schools of mathematics and natural sciences to specialized schools, with admission after the fourth and seventh grades. It is proposed that these schools accept pupils in the fifth grade and provide them with specialized training until they complete their secondary education, without the need for pupils to reapply to the same schools. Pupils admitted after fourth grade may, at their own discretion and based on the results of the national external assessment after seventh grade, apply for admission to other schools, with their vacated places being filled by other pupils. At the same time, secondary schools of mathematics and natural sciences will be able to implement a state admission plan and completely new classes with pupils after seventh grade.

Transportation will be provided for children of compulsory pre-school age and for pupils in first to twelfth grades with special educational needs who travel daily to attend school in another town.

/DS/