Information on the system of education in the Republic of Bulgaria





The structure of the educational system in Bulgaria comprises the following levels: pre-school education, school education (including basic and secondary education) and higher education. Pre-school education includes children from the age 3 to the age of 6/7. Nursery school attendance is optional. Besides the state owned sector, which is prevalent (more than 95%), the private sector is negligible, but on the increase.

Basic education (1-8 grades) in Bulgaria comprises primary school (grades 1-4) and pre-secondary school (grades 5-8). It can be attained at state-owned, municipal and private schools. Within the framework of the same educational level additional vocational qualification could be obtained by running vocational-technical programmes upon completion of grades 6, 7 or 8. Learning resources /text books/ are free and are provided by the school. After successful completion of grade 4, a Certificate of Primary Education is issued. A Certificate of Basic Education is issued after successful completion of grade 8.

Secondary education in Bulgaria can be divided into secondary general /comprehensive and profile-oriented/ and vocational. Secondary general education can be attained at secondary comprehensive schools (duration of studies 4 years) and profile-oriented schools (duration of studies 4, 5 years). Students can enter the profile-oriented schools upon completion of grade 7 or 8 after passing entry examinations, according to the profile of the school (mother tongue/literature, mathematics, humanities etc.). The state-owned secondary schools in the 1997/98 academic year are 3157 with a total number of 841 446 pupils.

Secondary vocational education can be attained at technical schools upon completion of grade 8 and a 4-years training, as well as upon completion of grade 7 and a 5-years training with intensive foreign language instruction. It is also provided by professional technical schools within a 3-years educational programme. The vocational schools in the 1997/98 academic year are 484 with a total number of 188 587 pupils. Education in Bulgaria is compulsory up to the age of 16. The school year comprises two terms. It starts at September 15 and ends in May-June.

After the successful completion of secondary education and passing written matriculation examinations a Diploma of Secondary/Secondary Specialised Education is issued. Holders of such diploma are entitled to continue their education on a higher educational level, without restriction as to the choice of a higher education establishment. Admission to higher education institutions is based on successful entrance examinations. The type and number of these examinations are determined by the higher education institutions and are closely linked to its respective profile.

The system of higher education in Bulgaria covers the following degrees:

First degree - at least a 4-years programme ending with a Bachelor’s degree

Second degree - at least a 5-years programme or one year after the Bachelor’s degree ending with a Master’s degree

Third degree - at least a 3-years programme after covering the Master’s degree ending with a Doctor’s degree.

These degrees are obtained at higher education institutions which comprise universities, specialised higher schools (academies, institutes) and colleges. The colleges, which in general are incorporated within the structure of the universities, offer a relatively shorter-term vocationally oriented training and confer Specialist in… degree. Training for a Doctor’s educational and academic degree can be also handled by such scientific research organisations as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Agriculture, according to their credentials.

The Bachelor’s and Master’s courses end with state examinations or defense of a diploma thesis. Only after this final evaluation, and if they are successful, the students receive a Diploma of completed higher degree of higher education. The Doctor’s degree ends with defense of doctoral thesis under the conditions prescribed by the Academic Degrees and Titles Act. Graduates with Bachelor’s degree may continue their education in the second degree or to practice their profession. Graduates with Master’s degree may continue their education in the third degree or to practice their profession.

There are at present 29 state-funded and 5 private higher education institutions. They are free to conduct teaching in a regular /full-time/, extra-mural, evening or distance education form.

The academic year starts in September-October and ends in May-June comprising 2 terms.

The official language of instruction is Bulgarian. However, some faculties and departments in a number of higher education institutions also offer courses in English, German or French.

In the 1997/98 academic year the total number of students in higher education is 252 186.





Structure of school system



Primary School

Length of program (years): 4

Age level: from 6 /7/ to 10

Certificate awarded: UDOSTOVERENIE ZA NATCHALNO OBRAZOVANIE /CERTIFICATE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION/





Basic School

Length of program (years): 4

Age level: from 10 to 14

Certificate awarded: UDOSTOVERENIE ZA OSNOVNO OBRAZOVANIE /CERTIFICATE OF BASIC EDUCATION/





Comprehensive Secondary School

Length of program (years): 4

Age level: from 14 to 18

Certificate awarded: DIPLOMA ZA SREDNO OBRAZOVANIE (DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION)





Specialized Secondary School

Length of program (years): 5

Age level: from 14 to 19

Certificate awarded: DIPLOMA ZA SREDNO OBRAZOVANIE (DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION)





Technical School

Length of program (years): 4 /5/

Age level: from 14 to 18 /19/

Certificate awarded: DIPLOMA ZA SREDNO SPETSIALNO OBRAZOVANIE (DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY SPECIALIZED EDUCATION), CERTIFICATE FOR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION.





Vocational-technical school

Length of program (years): 3

Age level: from 15 to 18

Certificate awarded: DIPLOMA ZA SREDNO OBRAZOVANIE DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION;
CERTIFICATE FOR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION





Professional school

Length of program (years): 2

Age level: from 14 to 16

Certificate awarded: CERTIFICATE FOR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION.

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REGIONAL Education Inspectorates


Blagoevgrad 2700
Street "
Thrace"
2073 88 52 73
88 52 65 88 52 68 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].bg
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Burgas 8000
Street "
Gladstone"
150 056 81 32 49
81 32 51 81 32 59

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Varna 9000
"
Tsar Simeon I"
32 052 63 22 43 63 22 98 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].bg
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Veliko Tarnovo 5002
Street "
Arch. Kozarov George"
1
PO Box 52 062 63 48 76 62 80 37 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Vidin 3700
Square "
Bdintsi"
2A, Fl 12 p.k.23 094 60 17 31
60 17 35 60 17 34 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Vratsa 3000
Street "
Sophronius of Vratsa"
6092 62 22 82
62 46 43 62 46 43

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Gabrovo 5300
Boulevard "
Third of March"
6066 80 54 11 80 54 11 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Dobrich 9300
"
Svoboda"
5, 3rd Floor, p.k.153 058 602 307 605 407 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Kardjali 6600
Street "
Minyorska"
1 0361 6 27 20
6 27 21 6 27 20 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Kyustendil 2500
Street "
Democracy"
55 078 55 00 74 55 00 74 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Lovech 5500
Street "
Commercial"
№ 43 fl.10 068 60 38 06
60 38 08 60 38 07 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Montana 3400
Zheravitsa Square, 1, 7th floor 096 0879220299
(096) 300 984 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Pazardjik 4400
Street "
Peyo Yavorov"
1 p.k.69 034 44 38 72 44 62 70 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Pernik 2300
Street "
Cyril and Methodius"
11076 60 48 30
60 16 78
60 11 85 60 48 30 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Pleven 5800
Street "
D. Konstantinov"
23, 3rd Floor, p.k.4 064 80 09 12
80 09 54 80 02 06 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Plovdiv 4000
Street "
Caribrod"
1032 63 18 41
63 18 43
62 89 80 63 18 47 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Razgrad 7200
Street "
Beli Lom"
40 p.k.21 084 66 09 34
61 11 18 66 09 34 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].bg
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Ruse 7000
Street "
Church autonomy"
18 p.k.70 082 83 45 32 82 33 42

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Silistra 7500
Street "
Sharr Mountain"
75 p.k.286 086 82 39 54
82 39 58 82 39 58 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].bg
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Sliven 8800
Tsar Liberator 1, PO Box A 123 044 66 24 07 62 37 46 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Smolyan 4700
Street "
Bulgaria"
14 0301 6 24 06
6 28 56
6 50 28 6 24 53

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Sofia-city street "
Antim I"
№ 17 02 935 60 51
935 60 50 988 39 37

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Sofia district "
Tzarigradsko shosse"
125 bl.5 02 971 02 99
73 98 64 870 53 27 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Stara Zagora 6000
Street "
Barreiro"
9 p.k.175 042 62 76 07
25 21 29 62 76 07;

25 21 29 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Targovishte 7700
"
Ivan Vazov"
1, 2nd floor, PO Box 202 0601 6 28 37 6 33 19 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Haskovo 6300
Square "
Freedom"
№ 5, 3rd Floor, PO Box 179 038 65 00 60 62 25 03 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].net
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Shumen 9700
"
Tsar Kaloyan"
1 054 80 03 73 80 03 73 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Yambol 8600
Street "
George Papazov"
6 p.k.449 046 66 10 77
66 10 74 66 10 76 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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