Bulgaria - Country Background Information

Describing the forms of education in the country

The EASIE data collection covers all recognised forms of education at ISCED levels 02, 1, 2 and 3.

This means any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector: municipality, local or regional educational provider from the public or private sector, working with/for ministries responsible for education and areas such as health, social, welfare, labour, justice, etc.

What is the compulsory education age range in the country?

From 4 years to 16 years.

What are the typical age ranges for the ISCED levels?

ISCED LEVEL 02 ISCED LEVEL 1 ISCED LEVEL 2 ISCED LEVEL 3
3–6 7–10 11–13 14–18
Is private sector education covered by the data provided for the country?
Yes

Private kindergartens and schools are founded by private individuals or legal entities such as businesses, non-profit legal entities or corporations, or organisations under legislation of a member state. Private kindergartens and schools start their activities once they are registered as an institution in the pre-primary and school education system under the conditions and in the order defined by Pre-Primary and School Education Law. Private individuals or legal entities may found private schools. Private kindergartens and schools may educate and issue documents for completed pre-primary education, respectively completed grade, stage or degree of education in accordance with the requirements of this law as well as the legislation of other member states, provided that they have acquired permission in accordance with the legislation of the member state and that the teaching can take place in integration with the requirements of the education system of the state which has issued the permission, and the national education standards.

The funds from the state budget for maintaining education activities for children and students in private kindergartens and schools shall be determined from the budgets of the municipalities on the territory of which their seat is located. With the funds received from the state budget, private kindergartens and schools finance only activities for education and socialisation of children and students.

Is recognised public or private education organised by sectors other than education (i.e. health, social, welfare, labour, justice, etc.) in the data provided for the country?
No
Are there recognised forms of alternative education covered by the data provided for the country?
No
Are there recognised forms of home schooling covered by the data provided for the country?
No
Identifying an ‘inclusive setting’ in the country

In the EASIE data collection, an inclusive setting is operationally defined as:

A recognised form of education where the child/learner follows education in mainstream classes alongside their peers for the largest part – 80% or more – of the school week.

The 80% time placement benchmark clearly indicates that a child/learner is educated in a mainstream class for the majority of their school week. At the same time, it acknowledges possibilities for small group or one-to-one withdrawal for limited periods of time (i.e. 20% or one day a week).

Very few participating countries can provide exact data on children/learners spending 80% of their time in a mainstream group/class. However, all countries can apply one of three agreed proxies that provide an approximation to this benchmark:

  • Placement in a mainstream class implies over 80% or more
  • Data is available on the number of hours of support allocated to a child/learner
  • Placement in a mainstream class implies over 50% or more.
Are you able to provide actual data to verify the 80% placement benchmark?
No
If no, which proxy are you using
Data is available on the number of hours of support allocated to a child/learner
What an ‘official decision of SEN’ means in the country

In the EASIE data collection, the agreed operational definition is:

An official decision leads to a child/learner being recognised as eligible for additional educational support to meet their learning needs.

Countries may have different types of official decision, but for all official decisions:

  • There has been some form of educational assessment procedure involving different people. This procedure may involve the child/learner, parents, school-based team members, as well as professionals from multi-disciplinary teams from outside the child’s/learner’s (pre-)school.
  • There is some form of legal document (plan/programme, etc.) that describes the support the child/learner is eligible to receive, which is used as the basis for decision-making.
  • There is some form of regular review process of the child/learner’s needs, progress and support.
Please describe what an ‘official decision’ is in the country.

An official decision leads to a child/learner being recognised as eligible for additional educational support to meet their learning needs.

  • There has been an educational assessment procedure involving a multi-disciplinary team
  • The multi-disciplinary team includes members from within and external to the child’s/learner’s (pre-)school
  • There is a legal document which describes the support the child/learner is eligible to receive and which is used as the basis for planning
  • The official decision is subject to a formal, regular review process.
What educational assessment procedures are carried out and who is involved?

Additional support is provided for children and learners with SEN based on an assessment of their personal needs carried out by a personal development support team. The team is formed where the child or learner is taught – be it in a kindergarten or school. The type and forms of education, as well as the particular activities for additional support for personal development, are defined with a plan of support for the child or learner. This plan also defines the classes for resource support. Additional support for personal development is provided by kindergartens, schools, personal development support centres and specialised service units. The additional support for personal development includes:

  • working with a child or learner on a particular case;
  • psycho-social rehabilitation, speech and hearing rehabilitation, visual rehabilitation, rehabilitation in the case of communicative disturbances and physical disabilities;
  • provision of accessible architectural, general and specialised supportive environments, technology and specialised equipment, didactic materials, methodology and specialists;
  • provision of special subject education for children/learners with sensory disabilities;
  • resource support.

Additional support for personal development is provided to children and learners who:

  • have special educational needs (due to sensory disabilities, physical disabilities, multiple disabilities, intellectual difficulties, speech impediments, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, emotional and behavioural disorders);
  • are at risk;
  • have notable gifts;
  • have a chronic illness.

The personal development support team in a kindergarten or school:

  • identifies the child’s/learner’s strengths, difficulties with development, education and behaviour, as well as the reasons for them;
  • assesses the child’s/learner’s personal needs;
  • prepares and carries out a plan for support;
  • observes and assesses the development of each individual case, etc.

The team responsible for the personal development of a child/learner always includes a psychologist or a pedagogical counsellor, as well as a speech therapist. These are employed by the kindergarten or school or provided by another institution. The team may include other specialists and representatives of the child protection authorities or organisations dealing with anti-social behaviour in minors. Personal development support teams work together with parents or, if relevant, with regional support centres for inclusive education and/or support centres for personal development.

What formal, regular review processes of a child/learner’s needs, progress and support are linked to an official decision?

The additional support defined by the personal development support teams is subject to confirmation by regional personal development support teams for children and learners with SEN. Each of the 28 regional centres for supporting the process of inclusive education (which are national specialised units of the Ministry of Education and Science) has a regional team of specialists, consisting of resource teachers (special pedagogues), psychologists, speech therapists, etc. After assessing the individual needs of the child or student by the personal development support team in the kindergarten or school, the regional team confirms whether the additional support identified by the personal development support team should be provided, how it will be provided and by what specialists.

What ‘out-of-education’ means in the country

Within the EASIE data collection, specific questions examine children/learners who are out of education. This means children/learners who should, by law, be in some form of recognised education, but who are out of any form of recognised education. A recognised form of education is any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector.

Is there a formal definition of ‘out-of-education’ in the country?
Yes

The official definition under the Preschool and School Education Act is 'dropping out of school'. 'Dropping out of school' is the dropping out of school of a student up to 18 years of age on the grounds of Art. 173, paragraph 2, points 2 and 3 of the Preschool and School Education Act before the completion of the last high school class, if the persons are not enrolled in another school.

Please describe which learners are considered ‘out-of-education’ in the country

According to Art. 173, paragraph 2, points 2 and 3, these are:

  • Students who have studied in full-time, part-time or combined form of education and have not attended school for disrespectful reasons for a period longer than two months;
  • Students who study in independent, individual or distance form of education and have not appeared to take the relevant exams in three consecutive sessions.