Bulgaria to reform education funding and school system

Bulgarian government officials have announced a major reform of the national education system, focusing on changing how schools are funded. Education Minister Georgi Valchev stated that the current ‘money follows the student’ model will be replaced within the next year. He noted that the existing system forces small schools into a struggle for survival rather than development and aims to create a more stable environment where teacher status is not solely dependent on student enrollment numbers.

President Rumen Radev emphasized that the reform is a top government priority, shifting the focus from student quantity to the quality of education. Proposed changes include the introduction of a ‘zero grade’ to prepare children who lack sufficient proficiency in the Bulgarian language before they enter first grade.

The reform also addresses the need for updated curricula, new textbooks written in more accessible language, and improved teacher salaries to ensure professional stability. These measures follow disappointing PISA assessment results, which highlighted systemic issues within the Bulgarian educational framework.