[REVISION HISTORY]

Bulgarian academic calendar and education updates

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-16 10:49 UTC → 2026-09-21 20:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The 2026-2027 Bulgarian academic year has commenced, involving over 700,000 students across 2,322 schools. This cohort includes more than 55,000 first-graders entering the education system for the first time. The academic year is supported by over 92,000 pedagogical specialists, with a notable trend toward a younger workforce, as nearly one in five teachers is under the age of 35. To support the new term, significant infrastructure and technological upgrades have been implemented. Through investments exceeding 250 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, over 2,000 new STEM centers have been established. Additionally, more than 600 school repairs were completed during the summer months. Financial support is also being provided to families; the Social Assistance Agency is distributing one-time aid of 153 euros to over 127,000 students in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8. This aid is delivered in two installments, with the second contingent upon regular school attendance. Nearly 50,000 students have already received the first installment. While celebrations took place in cities such as Varna, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, and Ruse, some localized concerns have emerged. In Sofia, students at the 38th Primary School held a symbolic protest wearing helmets to highlight safety concerns regarding the school’s deteriorating roof and fence within the 130-year-old historic building. Additionally, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has announced month-long inspections of school canteens and buffets to ensure compliance with safety and quality regulations. Regarding academic standards, the Ministry of Education and Science has released the national external assessment (NEA) models for grades 4, 7, and 10. While formats for 4th and 7th graders remain unchanged, the 10th-grade Bulgarian language and literature assessment will now include tasks related to history, civilizations, and philosophy. Consequently, the testing duration for this exam has increased from 90 to 120 minutes.

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