Adult education in Bulgaria

Next year the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, Youth and Science will launch a project named “Literacy for Adults” to the tune of some 7.5 million Euro funded by the European Social Fund. The initiative will be targeting Bulgarians over 16, who have dropped out of school but would like to finish their education. Money for adult education is granted by the EU operational programmes “Human Resources Development” and “Lifelong Learning”.

Some 36% of the Bulgarians aged 25-64 participate in lifelong learning programmes. In comparison, the Swedes involved in lifelong learning are 73% and the Finns account for 55%, according to 2007 pan-European research for adult education. This study in Bulgaria was conducted by the National Statistical Institute, covering some 5600 Bulgarians. Young people aged 25-34 (57%) are most active in lifelong learning, while those aged 55-64 are least interested in career development opportunities (31%). As a whole, Bulgarians are most interested in courses in the spheres of services, defence and transport, followed by foreign language ones.

Adult education is supported by various NGOs, such as Infocentre, based in the town of Tryavna, which was distinguished for one of its projects called “The Local Becomes Global” and carried out jointly with Latvia, Spain, Greece and Denmark. Infocentre was established 10 years ago under the initiative of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Eversince then the NGO has been working on various projects aiming to provide education and information services to adults.

“We offered various training courses related to key skills and competences, such as digital literacy, foreign languages, and teamwork”, Kalina Toteva, Head of Info centre told Radio Bulgaria. “Later we developed as a vocational training centre and get licensed by the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training in Bulgaria. At the moment we offer some 20 vocational trainings. What is more, we are working on Leonardo da Vinci projects, more specifically on innovations transfer, while adapting syllabi and reference books for different professions. We work with disabled and marginalized groups, too.

Are adults active in lifelong learning?

“The town of Tryavna is a pretty active region in Bulgaria, and we feel proud about that”, Kalina Toteva said further. “As a whole, Bulgaria still has things to do in the sphere of lifelong learning. The latter should target employees and those employers who are not fully aware of the need for qualified workers. Fortunately, there are many people who are now seeking to participate in lifelong learning programmes. We are proud of the 70-year olds who enrol in various courses. We are particularly inspired by the people who seek to keep their brain active and face new challenges all the time. These people are mostly interested in computer and foreign language learning courses. Many old people has grandchildren abroad, hence they would like to be able to use new technologies. Some of them just want to show their grandchildren they can keep abreast of the time, which is also praiseworthy”, Kalina Toteva, Head of Info centre said in conclusion.