The district health inspectorates monitor the objective criteria. It seems that Sofia will get away with the flu epidemic and the transition to electronic learning. Electronic learning is to minimize the loss of learning time. It is worse than face-to-face time, but it is better than none. This was stated by the Minister of Education Krasimir Valchev in the program “Panorama” on BNT.
He described the education system that he finds as stagnant. “Stagnation, because the system faces challenges related to the changing environment. We must move forward so as not to fall behind. We need to make reforms that we either did not do in the best way or we have delayed. Two cultures prevent the improvement of results and the work of the system - the culture of learning and reproduction of knowledge, we need to refocus on the functionality of knowledge. This implies a reform of curricula and assessment - if we test them to learn, they will do it, if we test them to think, they will learn. The other culture is of formalism. Many things in the system were thought with good intentions, but they have turned into formalism,”, explained the minister.
When knowledge is measured, our system does very well, when skills and functional intelligence are measured, our students do well. We need to make the transition to the functionality of knowledge with reforms. Our system is too ambitious in terms of providing knowledge and not so much in terms of providing skills, Valchev emphasized.
Regarding the poor results of Bulgarian students on the PISA test, Valchev commented: "We are preparing our children to be shot putters, and PISA is a sprint. When knowledge is measured, our system does very well, when skills and functional literacy and intelligence are measured, ours do not do well".
"Major reforms require that they be done wisely, discussed, and done expertly. This requires time and basic political agreement”, the Minister of Education emphasized and added that fortunately there are no major dividing lines and there is a consensus on where education should go.