Minister Valchev: Broad consensus for completing primary education after eighth grade

There is a broad consensus that primary education should end after the eighth grade, that there should be a compulsory state matriculation exam in the main specialized subject, and that the curricula for specialized training should be significantly simplified. This was stated to journalists by the Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev, who summarized the opinions expressed during today's discussion dedicated to the structure of school education, the balance between different types of training, potential changes and the necessary reforms in national exams.

According to him, a few months ago the main focus was on the question of when to complete primary education, with the prevailing assessment for its completion after the seventh grade being mostly negative, and the positive sides being too few. There is a high degree of consensus that the "4+4+4" structure should be returned. Even when primary education ends at a later stage, more clearly expressed positive effects are observed, but it cannot be allowed to end after the ninth or tenth grade, the Minister explained.

He pointed out that the topic of the educational structure is intertwined with many other subtopics - what the external assessment should be and after which grades it should be conducted, whether it should be comprehensive or focused on certain subjects, what the compulsory matriculation exams should be and what the main directions and paths should be for students to specialize in. There are profiles and professions in the system, and when we talk about compulsory exams for a high school diploma, they can be directly related to the profile. Within today's discussion, the understanding that the main specialized subject should be compulsory for the matriculation exam received the strongest approval, which is not the case at the moment. If a student is studying in a profile with English, the English exam should be compulsory for him, and when studying in a profile with Spanish - the matriculation exam should be in Spanish.

According to the Minister, more general profiles can also be developed, within which extended compulsory training can be provided. As an example, he pointed to the so-called STEM profiles, as well as profiles and professions related to mathematics, natural sciences and technologies, in which it is necessary to have more in-depth training exactly in these areas. Valchev emphasized that the topics are numerous, and there are currently no final decisions. The goal is to develop a concept that will be included in the future amendments to the Law on Preschool and School Education. In parallel, the Ministry is also working on changes in the curricula, as concepts have already started to be published, Minister Krasimir Valchev further clarified.

On the question of whether the national exam after the seventh grade will be divided into modules, the Minister explained that external assessment at the national level performs two main functions - diagnostics and analysis of achievements, as well as the selection of students. According to him, it is impossible to completely avoid selection, because there are schools with a greater interest in admission, and at the moment the only mechanism for selection is ranking by results. It is not mandatory for all forms of external assessment to be conducted in every school when a diagnostic function is sought, but this is also among the issues brought up for public debate. The Minister stressed that there is no rush with the decisions, because they are significant and require longer discussion.

In the next three months, a series of discussions will be organized with pedagogical specialists on the topic of the structure of education, as well as in relation to curricula and subjects, the Minister of Education also said.

Regarding the question of whether there should be a compulsory state matriculation exam in mathematics, Krasimir Valchev pointed out that four options are being discussed. The first one provides for the current situation to be maintained, in which there is no such compulsory exam, or not to be introduced at all. The second option is for the matriculation exam in mathematics to be compulsory only for students in mathematics profiles. The third is for it to become compulsory for profiles and professions related to mathematics, natural sciences and STEM fields. The fourth option is a compulsory matriculation exam in mathematics for all students.

The Minister noted that the eight countries that are leaders in the PISA international study have a compulsory mathematics matriculation exam, and again stressed the intention to encourage the study of this subject. According to him, this is a key factor for better results and for the training of specialists in areas with high added value.

The Ministry of Education and Science organized today's discussion in the conference hall of the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" in Sofia. Experts, directors, teachers, representatives of higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations and other interested parties took part in the discussion.

As previously reported by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, there is a consensus in the system that the premature completion of primary education has a negative effect. Only in Bulgaria does primary education end so early. Nine years have passed since the entry into force of the Law on Preschool and School Education, and according to the Minister, it is necessary to make an in-depth analysis of the results. During the discussion, he pointed out that when and on which subjects the national external assessments and state matriculation exams will be discussed.