The question of quality in Bulgarian school education is a complex and key issue, yet one that is entirely solvable, stated Minister of Education and Science Prof. Georgiy Valchev during a meeting of the Committee on Education and Science in the National Assembly. In response to an inquiry from the committee's deputy chairman, Acad. Nikolay Denkov, representing the "We Continue the Change" parliamentary group, the minister confirmed that the ministry will resume the process of teacher certification, for which a one-year preparation period has been allocated.
Acad. Nikolay Denkov emphasized the need to create incentives for improving quality in the classroom. He noted that while the current funding model is considered exceptionally good, it has a significant flaw — the lack of an objective indicator for the actual quality of education. In this regard, the academic asked Prof. Valchev about his concept for quality assessment and the potential for linking it directly to financial mechanisms.
The minister explained that the main goal in developing the new criteria is for them to accurately reflect the progress made by the students themselves. Prof. Valchev added:
- The weighting of the various components in the assessment system will be carefully determined to ensure stability within the school structure.
- The topic of quality will not be overlooked, and a concrete draft will be prepared and presented for public discussion within one year.
Regarding future steps, Acad. Nikolay Denkov expressed concern about not wasting the experience already gained, calling for a broad discussion involving former ministers of education and members of the parliamentary committee. Prof. Georgiy Valchev accepted the proposal, assuring that he would consult with specialists and experts to reach the most appropriate solution. The minister pledged that as soon as an initial working draft is ready, it will be submitted for review by the education committee.