Once again, Bulgarian students have achieved unsatisfactory results in the international PISA 2025 assessment, showing a decline in both mathematics and reading proficiency. The Minister of Education and Science, Prof. Georgi Valchev, stated during a special press conference that the data are a clear indicator of a serious problem within Bulgaria’s educational model.
The Ministry of Education and Science officially presented the country's data, outlining the key conclusions from the study and identifying the next steps to improve performance. PISA evaluates the extent to which 15-year-old students are able to apply what they have learned to real-life situations in three main areas:
- science;
- reading;
- mathematics.
In this cycle, the leading domain of assessment was scientific literacy. The international study itself is organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and PISA 2025 included 760,000 students from a total of 91 countries.
According to Prof. Valchev, the results reveal deepening educational inequality in the country. The Minister emphasized that in many schools in Bulgaria, especially those educating children from socially vulnerable groups, there are difficulties even with basic literacy. He clarified that he does not intend to shift the responsibility for these poor results onto previous administrations of the Ministry of Education and Science.
In response to the situation, the department will propose a series of measures in the coming months, which will be discussed to find the most effective solutions. Key areas for change include:
- a revision of the financial principle of "money follows the student";
- the introduction of mechanisms to improve discipline.
The press conference continued with a detailed presentation of the Bulgarian students' performance, with specific actions in the identified areas yet to be finalized.