Caretaker Government Approves 24 National Education Development Programs

The caretaker government approved 24 national education development programs that will support key policies in the field of education during the next school year. It is planned that over 115 million euros will be invested for kindergartens and schools, and the scope of policies for preschool and school education will be expanded with new activities, the government press service announced.

The current National Program "Without aggression for a secure educational environment" will be expanded and upgraded with the new National Program "Inclusive and secure educational environment". Emphasis is placed on supporting students with learning difficulties, and support is planned for continuing professional training of young people with special needs. In this way, care will be provided for young people with sensory, intellectual and physical disabilities, who, after graduating from the 12th grade, do not have access to appropriate forms of education, tailored to their specific needs and health condition. It also includes practice, rehabilitation, therapy and social support in a single model, applied by a multidisciplinary team of pedagogical specialists, therapists and other professionals with specific expertise in working with people with disabilities.

Within the framework of the National Program "Providing a modern, secure and accessible educational environment", classrooms for interest activities will be equipped in the National Children's Palace, in the Centers for Personal Development Support and in student dormitories. For the first time, it is possible to apply for the purchase of sports equipment in schools. The creation of an electronic platform for the digitalization of early screening assessment and analysis of the development of three-year-old children is also planned. This will allow timely detection of risks in cognitive, language, social-emotional and motor development, which is important for providing adequate support and preventing subsequent learning difficulties, social isolation and educational marginalization of children.

Through the National Program "Skills in Focus", conditions will be provided for the development of modern skills in accordance with the challenges of the new realities. In a new module of it - "Positive attitudes", the expansion and upgrading of the application of pedagogical practices "Morning story", "Morning fairy tale" and "Morning meeting" is laid down, and at least 50 kindergartens and schools will be included. Under another module, "Laboratory for games", the construction of a national and international center for the validation and dissemination of game practices and the formation of a professional network, which shares the understanding of the game as a basic mechanism of learning and development, is planned.

The National Program "Bulgaria - educational routes" will be aimed at expanding the scope of the conducted lessons in cultural and scientific institutions, as well as the educational routes for Bulgarian schools abroad, private schools and centers for special educational needs. The creation of materials and resources for the popularization of Bulgarian traditions, way of life, culture and history will be supported, which will stimulate learning through experience and the consolidation of acquired knowledge.

This year, the remaining successfully implemented programs will continue. These are "System for national standardized external assessment", "Student Olympiads and competitions", "It is nice in kindergarten", "ICT in the system of preschool and school education", "Qualification of pedagogical specialists", "Together for every child", "Optimizing the internal structure of personnel", "Innovations in action", "Textbooks, study sets and study aids", "Supporting municipalities for educational desegregation", "Without a free hour", "Native language and culture abroad", "Professional education and training", "Training for IT skills and career", "Prevention and rehabilitation of pedagogical specialists", "The untold stories of Bulgarians", "Together in the arts and sports, "Studying and preserving the traditions and history of the Bulgarian army", "Road safety" and "A future for talents".

The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) launched the first application campaign for state and municipal schools under the project "Educational routes in Bulgaria", implemented under the "Education" program 2021-2027, co-financed by the European Union.