Deputy Minister of Education and Science Academician Nikolay Vitanov visited schools in Teteven on the occasion of the first day of school. He was a guest at the "Georgi Benkovski" Secondary School, his alma mater, and at the "Sava Mladenov" National Vocational High School of Forestry and Woodworking.

In his greeting to the students at "Georgi Benkovski" Secondary School, the Deputy Minister noted that teachers will teach them how to navigate the information avalanche and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. He added that educators will impart critical thinking skills, as well as the capacity for empathy and compassion. "Don't stop! Be patient, hardworking, and keep learning!" Academician Nikolay Vitanov advised the young people. He also wished a successful year to the school's director, Marinela Markova.

During his visit to the "Sava Mladenov" National Vocational High School of Forestry and Woodworking, Academician Vitanov visited the school's two STEM centers. He congratulated Director Zlatina Katalieva and the teaching staff, assuring the students that they had made the right choice. In his view, artificial intelligence cannot replace humans in the professional fields of forestry and woodworking.

According to data from the Ministry of Education and Science (MON), the new school year begins for over 700,000 students in 2,322 schools across the country. Today, for the first time, over 55,000 first-graders are crossing the threshold of the school system. There are over 92,000 pedagogical specialists working in the education system, with over 20,000 of them in kindergartens. Nearly every fifth specialist in the country is under the age of 35.

New educational standards and technology investments will impact the quality of education and youth development throughout the country, including Burgas and the region.

In the new school year, over 2,000 newly built STEM centers will be available to students. Through an investment of over 250 million euros under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, state and municipal schools will provide training in dedicated STEM spaces and high-tech equipped classrooms.