April 20th - Day of Bulgarian Heroism: A New Tradition in Commemorating the April Uprising

The Minister of Education and Science, Prof. Sergey Ignatov, announced April 20th as a non-teaching, but in-person day for teachers and students, to commemorate the anniversary of the April Uprising. The initiative aims to re-evaluate the significance of this day and pass it on to future generations.

Ignatov emphasized that the goal is to create a critical mass of people who will celebrate this day, with the potential for it to become an official, even national holiday. He believes that education should give a new impetus to the development of Bulgaria, emphasizing Bulgarian heroism and self-awareness.

The program includes the collection of student messages, the opening of museums on April 20th, and the participation of ministers in events. Ignatov stressed that the school remains a place for education and values, with partisanship and political propaganda being unacceptable.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Dr. Emilia Lazarova, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Science, Lyubomir Yosifov, the Head of the Minister's Office, Maria Petkova, the Head of the Sofia-city Regional Department of Education, Eleonora Lilova, and directors of directorates in the Ministry of Education and Science. Experts from the Ministry answered questions from the directors related to current topics in the field of vocational and inclusive education.