site.btaCalls for Rethinking Bulgaria’s Education System as Experts Debate Future Skills

How education can be both useful and interesting was discussed by politicians and experts at a forum organized by the Continue the Change (CC) party in Sofia Wednesday. The event is part of a series of debates under the motto “A Strong Bulgaria in a Strong Europe,” initiated by the political party.

According to Nikolay Denkov MP of the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, the key question is what we want from education in a world that is developing so fast, where we do not know what values will prevail when children graduate, or what institutions will exist. Therefore, he said, we must work to ensure they are well prepared, and this is our task. 

Continue the Change leader Assen Vassilev pointed out that the current education system was created during the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century, when the focus was on teaching discipline and obedience, and because access to information was expensive. Today, the challenges are different and the system must be rethought in order to prepare all Bulgarians for what awaits them over the next 40 years, he stressed.

Ilko Yordanov from the research team of the Open Society Institute commented that key macro directions in the development of education include new teaching and assessment methods, and how to introduce “artificial intelligence (AI) assistants” for teachers and students. He also presented a study from the end of 2024 among 2,400 students aged 14 to 18 on the main challenges they face. Among the top issues identified were discipline, aggression, and poor communication; to a lesser extent, students pointed to complex subject matter and an overloaded curriculum.

According to data from the Ministry of Finance, projected spending on education for 2025 and 2026 amounts to 4.8% of gross domestic product, which lags behind the average levels in EU countries, Yordanov added. Between 62% and 63% of teachers trust AI. More than half of Bulgarians agree that mobile phones should be banned in schools, according to a Eurobarometer survey cited by him.

Ivo Petrov from the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) in Sofia drew attention to the risks of using AI, as it does not reason in the same way humans do. According to Petrov, AI relies on a large database and, when asked a question, provides the most probable answer without realizing it may be wrong, which makes it easy for someone to be misled within the education system. It is important that information be verified and that this requirement be built into educational curricula, he emphasized.

Ivaylo Ushagelov, director of the National High School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in Sofia, commented that the human factor should not be forgotten: learning through experience and the “flipped classroom” model where the focus is shifted away from direct  teacher-led instruction and resources should be directed toward teacher qualification and training.

Maria Brestnichka from the National Network for Children drew attention to the poor interdisciplinary connections: for example, why the same historical period is not studied at the same time across different subjects, in order to gain a better understanding of that period.

Experts at the discussion commented that what is taught in school must be understandable to children, which makes the volume of material important. Currently, it is very large and cannot be fully comprehended by students. Therefore, the content of the material and the structure of secondary education should be reconsidered.

Yana Alexieva, a representative of a parents’ organization, commented that the education should have a vision of a child or young person at the exit of the education system, as well as what their overall experience at school should be.