ABSTRACT
Summary: The development of the educational system in Bulgaria is closely linked to, and determined by, the dynamic socio-economic and cultural development in the country as well as by the on-going revolution in science and technology. Correspondingly two basic trends emerge:
close interdependence between the high school education system and the demands for highly qualified specialists in the sphere of economy, science and culture; need for a most upto-date professional training on a broad polytechnic basis;
correspondence between content and methods of education and the modern achievements in science and technology.
The educational system in Bulgaria is founded upon, and functions according to, the following principles:
democratism: equal opportunities for general, polytechnic and professional education for all young people; accordingly education in Bulgaria is free and available to all;
polytechnic character of education which determines both the general outlook of educational training and the professional orientation and training;
attainment of high professional skills according to the demands of modern economy, science, culture, art and the interests of the individual.
According to the decisions of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1979) reforms in education are being carried out in two directions:
perfection of the existing system, a so-called ‘transition period’;
building up a new system of high school education.
The main characteristics during the transition period are:
a single type of education exists for the first seven grades (I-VII), except for the 29 schools of the Research Group of Education;
partial admission of six-year-old pupils to the first grade has been started;
the instructional contents of the general education subjects is unique for all kinds of high schools (5 years polytechnic high schools and technical high schools, and 4 years professional vocational schools);
differentiation in instruction is introduced by optional disciplines and extra-curricular activities.
In parallel with the transition-period, work has been started on the realization of the new unitary polytechnic schools, with three levels of instruction within a 10 to 12 year course of education. This system also includes new two years post-high-school technical schools, special schools for care and training of handicapped children, three years only professional vocational schools (VIII-X grades) etc.
