New school year in Bulgaria started

The new school year has started for more than 702,000 Bulgarian students and 70,000 teachers.

Approximately 57,500 students will start school for the first time.

As part of the tradition, the beginning of the new school year is marked with the ceremonial bell-ringing, children bringing flowers to teachers and festivities.

In the school year 2023/2024, a total of 2,349 schools will operate in the country.

The President opened the school year at the school in the village of Kochan, which celebrates its 50th anniversary today.

The Head of State also presented the honorary plaque "St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. He congratulated the head of the school for the fact that over the years the school has educated thousands of patriots and proved that there are no barriers to the thirst for knowledge and the will to succeed.

In the temple of knowledge, every Bulgarian child should have equal opportunities to develop his or her potential and receive education, the President said.

"Do not give up in the face of difficulties, on the contrary, use every obstacle to turn it into a springboard for your next success," President Rumen Radev said.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov opened the school year and rang the first bell at the National High School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

He promised more funding for education under various programmes.

He himself is an alumnus of the school and said that when he graduated it in 1980 he told himself that if he succeeded in life he would come back to give thanks.

He wished the students to believe in themselves and their teachers because they teach them something new every day.

"September 15 and May 24 (Alphabet day) are the two holidays that distinguish Bulgaria within the whole world by saying "Education, science, culture - this is the essence of Bulgaria". There is no other country in the world that celebrates them in this way," PM Denkov said.

Education Minister Galin Tsokov attended the ceremony of the completely renovated 107th school in the capital.

"Regarding the change of curricula and what we see in the course of the public discussion is that there are many controversial points of discussion whether and how a certain change should happen. The curriculum content is one of the most important elements of training and education and we are taking a very responsible approach in terms of what should be most relevant and most important to remain in the curriculum content in general education," Education Minister said.

First day at school in pictures from 32 School "St. Kliment Ohridski"

Images by Dessislava Kulelieva