European Trade Union Committee for Education

In the last few decades, Bulgaria has witnessed many reforms in the education sector, but only in the beginning of 2016 did the Bulgarian Parliament adopt a new law on the early childhood and secondary education. It entered into force on 1 August 2016 and introduced a number of changes in the early childhood and secondary education concerning state educational standards, learning process, education management, teacher training and professional development, horizontal and vertical career opportunities for education workers, key competences of teachers and students, and other issues. Currently, the elaboration and validation of the educational frameworks proposed by the law, including state educational standards, continue.

After the adoption of the new law, the Bulgarian Union of Teachers (SEB), ETUCE member organisation in Bulgaria, decided to draw the attention of Bulgarian teachers and Ministry of education and science to the compelling matter of effective education being a generator of modern society’s development. “Effective quality education is closely related to social justice in the society, which is the basis for social progress. Effective education is a constructive path to the sustainable modern society,” said Yanka Takeva, PhD in Economics, President of SEB who established a Standing Academy of Science and Innovation in Education.

“Effective education is a generator of modern society’s development” is a two-year international project which is implemented by SEB together with the Academy of Science of Bulgaria, Public Academy of Science, Education and Culture, European Academy for Innovation, and other institutions.

The first session of the international conference took place in May 2016. The topic of this session was the analysis of existing educational efficiency standards and the development of the new ones. Researchers, university professors, teachers and leaders of schools and kindergartens discussed key issues of the methodological frameworks and solutions for introducing methodological standards in education: European standards of higher education as a way to improve its quality; a balance of corrective and educational functions of  pedagogy; innovative approaches to the development of children’s creativity in kindergarten; and spiritual development of the modern society.

The second session of the conference focused on the innovations in educational process management and took place on 27 November 2016. Topics discussed at the conference included areas of concern regarding the long-term policy in the education sector at international, national and regional level, as well as the school of the XXI century as a basis for the innovative management in education. Thematic workshops also covered issues such as innovation and management of educational institutions in terms of autonomy, motivational models of the educational process management, risk management in the educational work, and the synchronization of the school and after-school activities.

The third session is dedicated to the differentiated education and training will take place in May 2017.

By raising important questions about the effectiveness of education for a public discussion with state institutions, parents and all other stakeholders in the educational process, SEB facilitates their solution, as well as a successful implementation of the efficient practices in early childhood and secondary education.