Bulgaria to propose new measures to improve school discipline

Bulgaria's Minister of Education and Science, Prof. Georgi Valchev, announced that a comprehensive package of measures to improve school discipline will be proposed for discussion within approximately ten days. The move comes in response to reports that nearly 50 percent of students identify discipline issues and feel disadvantaged by the behavior of their peers.

Valchev stated that the proposed measures will include a mix of funded and “soft” interventions aimed at correcting behavior rather than simply removing students from the school system. The plan may also include incentives for students who successfully improve their conduct. While the possibility of introducing formal discipline grades was raised by MP Fatima Yildiz, Valchev noted that such a move remains a polarizing issue in society.