Bulgaria prepares teachers for AI integration as 95% of students already use it

A study of 10,038 pupils, 1,767 teachers and 210 school staff across 63 Bulgarian schools found that nearly 95% of students use artificial intelligence for school work, with about half doing so daily or several times a week. The research, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science and carried out by the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASCOM), will inform the development of methodological guidelines for teachers and a national training programme. BASCOM plans to create a network of 100‑200 schools that will receive training and support to integrate AI responsibly, protect personal data and address unequal access to technology.

Minister of Education and Science Prof. Georgi Vŭlchev said the goal is to "create clear rules and necessary support so that new technologies are used responsibly and to the benefit of pupils." Alexander Angelov of BASCOM noted that the challenge is not whether students use AI, but whether schools are prepared to apply it correctly, adding, "Това донякъде е добра новина, защото означава, че имат достъп до технологии…" (This is somewhat good news because it means they have access to technology). The upcoming guidelines aim to move AI use beyond simple text generation toward changing teaching methods.