No school in Bulgaria will close because it cannot pay to heat its buildings, education minister Prof Georgi Valchev has promised. He was answering a question in parliament.

"At this stage the education ministry has found no shortage of funds to cover the heating season in schools, including in Silistra region," the minister said.

The question came from MP Dimitar Todorov of Progressive Bulgaria. He asked whether schools and kindergartens in Silistra region are ready for the heating season and what fuels they use. Todorov said the region has 41 schools, 22 kindergartens and one centre for special education support in the 2026/2027 school year. In all, 64 institutions are heated in different ways and with different fuels.

If fuel prices keep rising this winter and schools and kindergartens cannot pay for heating, the ministry will give them extra money for this, Valchev said.

The education ministry is the main budget holder for some of the education institutions. The minister said the formulas used to share out the budget have included an extra sum over the years. It is also set aside for 2026 as a heating supplement for liquid fuel. The supplement is extra support for schools and kindergartens with heating systems that run on this fuel.

Valchev said the cost of heating depends directly on the type of fuel, the size and condition of the buildings, the climate and how long the heating season lasts.

The minister said schools and kindergartens differ a lot. They vary in the number of children and pupils, the number of classes and the way their buildings are heated.