site.btaProtest in Sofia Against School Subject Virtues and Religion

A protest under the slogan “School is neither a church nor a mosque” took place in front of the Bulgarian National Bank in Sofia on Wednesday. Demonstrators voiced opposition to proposed amendments to the Pre-school and School Education Act, which would introduce a mandatory subject titled Virtues and Religion.

“The goal of this protest is to draw society’s attention to the failures of our education system – from low functional literacy and chaotic reforms to the risk of new conflicts in schools. No matter how much they try to convince us that discipline and religion will solve these problems – they will not,” said Radostina Hlebarova, a teacher, psychologist, and one of the initiative’s organizers. She warned that the new subject could create divisions among children along religious and ethnic lines.

Among those present were MPs Yavor Bozhankov, Nikolay Denkov, Lena Borislavova, and Manol Peykov, as well as other politicians, representatives of NGOs, and civic associations.

Protesters agreed that any reforms must be based on genuine public dialogue and ensure equal participation of students, teachers, and parents in the decision-making process.

This was the third protest against the planned subject, following two demonstrations held in Sofia in May under the same motto: “School is not a church”.