Education in Bulgaria is tragic. What the hell, what is important for the Ministry of Education and Science is that students are obedient. And to cherish the “traditional values” and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, in order to become virtuous. Amen. However, the future belongs to those who think, not to those who obey.
Education in order and obedience, instead of young people with critical thinking and independence is a long-standing ambition of many Bulgarian teachers. Judging by the society that has formed, it has been achieved - obedient performers, who comply with those-above-them, dominate. This trend is about to become stronger, because Bulgarian education is being reformed, while being conservative.
Discipline and traditional values
The proposal of the union "Education" to the trade union "Podkrepa", which has been insisting for years on introducing a discipline assessment due to the collapse of "traditional values" (what does that mean?) and the manifestations of aggression and violence in Bulgarian schools, is about to be implemented. Various education ministers over the years have deflected it, but the current one - Krasimir Valchev (GERB), who headed the Ministry of Education and Science in Boyko Borisov's third cabinet, announced on BNT that such an assessment will most likely be in place from the 2026/2027 school year, as well as a mandatory subject of virtues and religion.
His arguments are that the education system is “quite shy in its educational function”: “Bulgarian teachers educate in national self-awareness, in patriotism, but the curricula themselves do not place sufficient emphasis on the educational function. The most important education is that in virtues”.
If parents and the community cannot teach the child empathy, compassion and respect for others - because they are the ones children imitate first, the school cannot replace them, but only supplement them. Personal example is the best - or worst - teacher.
Socrates or Makarenko
The famous Socrates thought: “I cannot teach anyone anything. I can only make them think”. If a child actively participates in a biology class, for example, but is mischievous in a Bulgarian language class and provokes disorder, who should be given a low grade for behavior? Evaluating discipline can be very subjective and dependent on the teachers' perception. One teacher may consider a given behavior acceptable, another - punishable and take advantage of the situation to express his personal biases. True discipline is not a function of grades, it depends on the quality of teaching and the learning environment. And morality is not taught in school - the great responsibility lies with the parents.
The education system in Bulgaria has not suffered from excessive shame in its attempts to educate. During Zhivkov's regime, a decrease in behavior by even one unit was not just a stigma, but a brake on applying to a higher educational institution. And a century and a half ago, in the monastic schools, the guilty students were driven out of the village with signs for what they had done and with blackened faces - in addition to a dose of beating with a stick or on the heels. What the Minister of Education saves is that the school authorities today show "leniency" towards the misdeeds of the students not out of a good heart, but because of their budget, based on the principle "money follows the student".
The conservative wave in education
However, the parental desire for a strong hand is visible (also evident in the political elections). A sociological survey by the agency "MARYA" This week's poll shows that Bulgarians want more control and order in schools - 84% are in favor of introducing a discipline assessment, 83% for a complete ban on mobile phones in schools, and 72% support the introduction of uniforms. Only 7% are in favor of more freedom and individuality.
The conservative wave in Bulgarian education does not end with the discipline assessment. The subject "Religion", which has been freely elective since 1997, will become mandatory - a lesson on virtues and religion. According to the Minister of Education, "this is also a way to unite our efforts with faiths, with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) in particular". Indoctrination? No, they would become better people.
With the exception of individual priests, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is not active in the field of social assistance and public causes, in missionary, educational and charitable activities. Many of the senior clergy were exposed as collaborators of the State Security. The church took a firm position against the Istanbul Convention, and last summer the Holy Synod welcomed a law proposed by “Vazrazhdane” and adopted by parliament, prohibiting the promotion of LGBTI topics among students. Led by Patriarch Daniil, known for his pro-Russian sympathies, who in November 2022, as Metropolitan of Vidin, justified Russian aggression, it is difficult to attract young people - despite its monopoly on Orthodoxy in Bulgaria.
And civic competences?
The rush to return to ”traditional values” is inversely proportional to the movement towards broader civic competences of students, where there are significant deficits.
The International Civic Education Survey – ICCS 2022 showed that the results of 14-year-old Bulgarian children are below average and place them in the same group as their peers in Colombia and Cyprus. The data announced at the end of 2023 confirmed that the family environment and the socio-economic background of students are among the factors that have the strongest influence on educational achievements.
“The difference between students in Bulgaria in the two extreme categories – with low and very high socio-economic and cultural status – is the largest compared to other countries”, the study found. And in addition, support for gender equality is among the lowest.
What is important for the Ministry of Education is that they are obedient. Also, may the "traditional values" and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which will help Bulgarian students become virtuous, be alive and well. Amen.
However, the future belongs to those who think, not to those who obey.
This comment expresses the personal opinion of the author and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as a whole.