Education and Training Monitor 2024

1. Learning for sustainability

Learning for sustainability is one of the priority areas for development for Bulgaria’s education and training system. Referred to as ‘education for sustainable development’, the topic is widely embedded in the Pre-school and School Education Act and is one of the nine priorities of the Strategic Framework that guides the development of Bulgaria’s education policy in the period 2021-2030. It is defined as education for personal and social development, covering the environmental, socio-political, socio‑cultural and economic dimensions. The Framework’s action plan envisages measures to develop the knowledge of students and teachers, effectively incorporate education for sustainable development into the school curriculum and modernise educational infrastructure. In practice, education for sustainable development is a cross-curricular theme (European Commission, 2024a), at the same time taught as a dedicated subject in primary and lower secondary education (e.g. People and nature, Surrounding world). Overall, guidance, teaching and learning materials are provided, and the topic is becoming part of the general inspection and evaluation processes. Nevertheless, improving teachers’ competences on the topic and training opportunities are challenges for effective implementation.

Surveys show there is scope to improve opportunities for students and teachers to learn about sustainability. In the 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), 31.8% of Bulgarian schools surveyed reported that they offered all or nearly all their 8th grade students opportunities to take part in activities related to environmental sustainability (Schulz et al.,, 2023). The average for the 17 EU countries¹ surveyed was 48%. At the same time, 58.4% of Bulgarian teachers reported that they took part in training courses addressing the environment and environmental sustainability, either during their initial preparation or as part of their continuous professional development, compared to 53% in the 17 participating EU countries. The study further shows that Bulgarian students have one of the lowest levels of knowledge of sustainable development among the 17 EU countries surveyed, scoring significantly below the EU average². These figures suggest that efforts are needed to close the policy practice gap and ensure a whole-school approach to sustainability.

Some efforts were made to embed learning for sustainability and facilitate green skills through vocational education and training (VET) and higher education. Bulgaria was one of the partners in the Erasmus+ ‘ENTIRE’ project, launched in 2021, aiming to address the need to adapt VET curricula and VET programmes, in particular apprenticeships, to the requirements of the green agenda, and to equip learners with skills for the green transition. In view of implementing the VET reform vision on the importance of green skills, specific references are present in secondary legislation for new professions, as well as in state educational standards (SES) and programmes. For example, in every SES adopted in 2022-2023 there is an individual unit for learning outcome related to digital and green skills. Moreover, the Education and Human Resources Development programmes, co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) in 2021-2027, include measures to increase knowledge and develop green skills as a cross‑cutting element, including for VET and higher education. Support from the Just Transition Fund will also provide training on green skills in VET. Learning for sustainability is not a specific objective in higher education, but some institutions provide specialised training in support of the green transition.

The European Universities initiative is facilitating learning for sustainability in Bulgaria. This initiative is a key enabler and pioneer in the development of climate and environmental literacy. For example, the INVEST alliance, in which the Bulgarian University of Agribusiness and Rural Development participates, offers joint Bachelor’s Specialisation studies (on sustainable agriculture, regional food-system transitions and environmental quality, sustainable communities in energy transition) and joint Master’s programmes on sustainable urban development and sustainable technologies in medium-sized firms.

2. Early childhood education and care

Participation of children over the age of three in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is improving, but remains low. The latest EU-level data show that in 2022 the enrolment rate³ for Bulgarian children aged between 3 and the starting age of compulsory primary education increased slightly to 80.4%. The figure remains significantly below the EU average of 93.1% and the EU-level target of 96% to be achieved by 2030. Nevertheless, more recent national data show an enrolment rate of 89.3%⁴ for the school year 2023-2024 (See Figure 1). The large difference between the two could be explained by the fact that the more recent figure is based on the revised population data from the 2021 census, and therefore accounts for the large emigration that Bulgaria has witnessed over the past decade. Efforts to improve participation, including by lowering the age of the compulsory pre-school programme to four, elimination of kindergarten fees for care-related services, and the expansion of capacities in large urban areas may also have contributed to the positive trend in enrolment. Nevertheless, shortages of places in Sofia and other large urban areas still exist. Moreover, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to take part in early childhood education and care, including Roma children, for which the participation rate was 58% in 2021 (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022).

Participation of children under the age of 3 remains low, but some steps were taken to raise the low level of quality. In 2023, only 17.4% of Bulgarian children below the age of 3 attended formal childcare⁵, compared with the EU average of 37.4% and below the national Barcelona target of 30% by 2030. Work has started on integrating nurseries in the education system and helping care workers obtain pedagogical qualifications. In Bulgaria, childcare services for children under three are traditionally focused on care, while educational aspects are largely missing. To bring coherence to services in ECEC and facilitate quality improvements, Bulgaria has developed - with support from the EU’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI) - a national quality framework covering ECEC from birth to age 6. The EU’s support will continue with a view to developing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system, including the operationalisation of the national quality framework. Additional EU support for early childhood education and care is provided through the ‘Future for Children’ operation, co-financed by the ESF+, which supports activities such as patronage care for children from 0 to 3 years, services for early childhood development, and health and social services for children and youth.

Figure 1: Net enrolment rate of children aged 3-6 in the education system from 2017-2018 to the 2023-2024 school year (%)

3. School education

Early school leaving has dropped gradually in recent years. In 2023, the percentage of early leavers from education and training among 18-24 years-olds fell to 9.3%⁶, compared to 13.9% in 2019. The rate is now below the EU average (9.5%) and slightly above the EU-level target for 2030 of 9%. This positive trend follows sustained efforts to identify and reintegrate out-of-school children and measures to reduce drop-out, including through remedial education and social support measures co-financed by the European Social Fund. Nevertheless, early school leaving remains particularly high in rural areas (18.8%) and for the Roma, with only 28% of Roma aged 18-24 having completed upper secondary education (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022).

Lack of basic skills and the low shares of top performing students are a barrier for skills development, competitiveness and innovation. In the 2022 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), 53.6% of Bulgarian 15-year-olds failed to achieve a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, 52.9% struggled in reading and 48% were low achievers in science (OECD, 2023a). The proportions of low achieving students are among the highest in the EU. They are significantly higher than the EU averages, which have nevertheless also deteriorated substantially (with figures rising to 29.5% in mathematics, 26.2% in reading, 24.2% in science). Compared with 2012, the share of low achieving students increased by more than the EU average, i.e. by 9.8 pps in mathematics (EU: 7.3 pps), 13.5 pps in reading (EU: 8.2 pps) and 11.1 pps in science (EU: 7.4 pps). At the same time, the share of top performing Bulgarian students is low: 3.1% in mathematics (EU: 7.9%), 2.2% in reading (EU: 6.5%) and 1.4% in science (EU: 6.9%) (European Commission, 2024b). This represents an additional obstacle for increasing Bulgaria’s productivity and innovation capacity. In this context, in 2024, the Council of the European Union called on Bulgaria to improve education and training, including for disadvantaged groups, by enhancing teacher training and implementing competence-based teaching and learning (Council of the European Union, 2024).

Bulgaria’s poor PISA results and worsening trends point to quality and equity challenges for education and training, which remain largely unaddressed. Although Bulgaria has increased its general government spending in education and has been benefitting from substantial support from European funds, years of underinvestment in education are having a visible impact. Bulgaria also has one of the highest rates of at-risk-of-poverty and exclusion in the EU (30%, compared to the EU average of 21.6%). This translates into educational disadvantages for a large share of the children and students, in particular for the Roma. Combined with the high degree of social segregation in the Bulgarian education system and the rather weak equity mechanisms, socioeconomic background has a significant impact on student outcomes. More than 60% of Roma are attending segregated schools (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022). In the PISA test, 62% of students from the lowest socio-economic quartile simultaneously lacked a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, reading and science (EU-27: 28.8%), representing a severe form of underachievement. Still, the percentage of students who are low achievers in mathematics, reading and science simultaneously is also high among students from advantaged backgrounds (16.5%, EU: 4.7%) and at national level (38.3%, EU-27:16.1%), suggesting the existence of challenges linked to teaching and the curricula. The Strategic Framework that guides education policy in 2021-2030 set out to address some of these challenges, but implementation has slowed down due to the recurrent government changes of recent years.

The disruptive impact of remote learning, and challenges linked to wellbeing and school climate might also have impacted educational outcomes. 44% of 15-year-olds in the PISA test reported that, during the periods of remote learning, they had problems at least once a week with understanding school assignments (OECD, 2023b). 35% had difficulties finding someone who could help with homework. At the same time, 22.4% of students reported being bullied at least a few times a month, with bullying impacting students and schools regardless of their socio-economic profile. In the PISA test, the results of students who were bullied were lower than students who were not. 41% of students said they cannot work well in most or all lessons, while 46% report getting distracted using digital devices.

EU funds are supporting the development of competences in Bulgaria. ESF and ESF+ have been facilitating the implementation of several strategic operations designed by the Ministry of Education and Science (see an example in Box 1). Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan is funding the establishment of STEM laboratories in more than 2 200 Bulgarian schools, to support the acquisition of digital skills, and teaching and learning in STEM subjects (i.e. linked to science, technology, engineering and mathematics). This investment may help improve the low level of digital skills among young Bulgarians, given that only 52.1% of 16-19-year-olds have basic or above-basic digital skills, compared with the EU-average of 66.4% in 2023. A working group was set up to develop a vision for changing curricula towards greater flexibility and a deeper focus on the acquisition of key competences. The ESF+ and Technical Support Instrument (see Box 2) will assist with implementation. For example, the Education Programme, co-financed by ESF+, envisages the implementation of a project that focuses on redesigning curricula and developing performance descriptors by grade and subject, to measure the achievement of basic learning results.

Despite efforts to address some of the challenges faced by the teaching profession, the need to improve teaching practices and better prepare teachers remains high. 49.1% of Bulgarian school teachers (ISCED 1-3) are at least 50 years old (EU average: 39.8%) and 31.4% at least 55 (EU average 24.8%⁷). Shortages of primary school teachers and teachers in certain subjects already exist (European Commission, 2023), impacting the quality of education and Bulgaria’s ambitions for STEM education. To improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession, the government has substantially raised the salaries of pedagogical staff. Additional measures were taken to improve access to university programmes preparing future teachers, including waiving tuition fees and scholarships for candidates in these programmes. As a result, interest in Bachelor’s programmes in education increased markedly – by 31% between 2019 and 2024. However, many graduates do not enter the profession and many novice teachers leave (Commission, 2023; World Bank, 2020). Although Bulgaria has taken substantial measures to improve initial teacher education and continuing professional development, areas of improvement remain (World Bank, 2020). Importantly, the poor and worsening results of young Bulgarians in the PISA test clearly point to the need to improve teaching and better prepare teachers to deliver competence-based teaching and learning. Support for teacher training is also envisaged through the ESF+ Programme Education and the STEM teacher training centres financed under Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan.

Recent legislative developments have the potential to negatively impact school climate, particularly for LGBTIQ students. In August 2024, the Bulgarian Parliament adopted amendments to the Pre-school and School Education Act, forbidding acts carrying out ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation and determination of gender identity other than biological’ in educational institutions. At the time of closing this report (4 October 2024), the European Commission was analysing whether the amendments are aligned with EU law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

4. Vocational education and training

Despite the ongoing reform of vocational education and training (VET), there is scope to improve its attractiveness and labour market relevance. The Ministry of Education and Science has initiated a reform of VET and dual VET, with the goal of improving its attractiveness, quality and labour market relevance. The share of pupils in medium level education that are enrolled in vocational programmes (54.9% in 2022)⁸ is above the EU average (52.4%). The employment rate of recent VET graduates is slightly below the EU average (78.4% compared to 81% in 2023). In some parts of the country, more than 60% of vocational school graduates do not possess the qualifications in demand in their local labour market and nearly half of VET students might not find work in their speciality area (Institute for Market Economics, 2023). Moreover, the level of basic skills of VET pupils is lower than that of pupils in general education (e.g. 68 points lower in mathematics, in the 2022 PISA test).

EU funds are supporting national efforts in the vocational education and training sector. As part of the reforms under the recovery and resilience plan (RRP), amendments to the regulatory framework for VET entered into force in 2024. They shall introduce changes to the list of professions for VET and their programmes, in accordance with the needs of professional competences. Accumulation and transfer of units of VET learning outcomes have been introduced as an alternative to the European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET), aiming at a more flexible, learner-centred and market-responsive VET. Under the ESF+ ‘Modernisation of VET’ operation, in 2023, the Ministry of Education and Science established 20 Sector Skills Councils and selected 338 vocational and secondary schools with vocational training classes to introduce modernised curricula and apprenticeship programmes. In addition, both the RRP and ESF+ provide support to renovate at least 24 VET schools and equip them for training in priority economic sectors, with a focus on digital and green technologies.

5. Higher education

Tertiary educational attainment increased in 2023 but remains low in comparison with the EU average. In 2023, 35.8% of Bulgarians aged 25-34 had a tertiary education degree⁹, 1.8 pps more than the previous year. Still, the rate is significantly below the EU average of 43.1% and the EU-level target of 45% by 2030. Compared to the previous year, attainment increased especially among women in this age group, widening the gender gap: 43% of women hold a university degree, compared to 28.7% of men. Although women are much more likely to hold a university degree, they are less likely to hold one in STEM. While Bulgaria has one of the lowest shares of graduates in STEM in the EU (19.3% in 2022, compared to EU: 26.6%), only 36.1% of them were women.

Improving participation in higher education could help with student numbers and prevent future skills shortages. The number of students enrolled in the academic year 2023-2024¹⁰ was 13% lower than 5 years before. The drop is due to demographic trends, combined with a large share of upper secondary Bulgarian students leaving the country to get their degree abroad (9.5% in 2022)¹¹. Of those pursuing their degree in Bulgaria, in 2022, only 1.3% went abroad for a short period, compared with the EU average of 6.7%. To improve participation in higher education, Bulgaria had planned to waive all tuition fees, including for doctoral students, but this measure is currently on hold. To improve quality, labour market relevance and inclusion in higher education, implementation of several ESF+ co‑financed measures is under way (European Commission, 2023). In 2019/20-2023/24, the highest increase was recorded in the number of students enrolled in Bachelor’s programmes in education (+31%), and ICT (+13%). Enrolment also increased in biology (+25%) and agriculture (+13%), albeit from a lower level. In the same reference period, a large drop in participation in Bachelor’s programmes was recorded in fisheries (-57%), architecture and construction (-43%), and business and administration (-35%). Numbers dropped also for Bachelor’s in engineering (-13%) and in programmes related to the environment (-26%), where enrolment remains below labour market needs. Improving the level of basic skills in mathematics and sciences for school students could also help attract more students to STEM fields and help achieve Bulgaria’s national priorities in STEM.

Figure 2: Change in the number of higher education students enrolled in selected bachelor programmes from 2019/2020 to the 2023/2024 academic year (%)

Measures were taken to improve the attractiveness of academic careers. In 2019-2023, the number of doctoral students dropped by 25%¹². In 2023, Bulgaria pegged the salaries of academic staff to a minimum of 180% of the gross average wage, while doctoral scholarships were pegged at 150% of the minimum salary. The introduction of the statute of research universities created opportunities for keeping graduates and doctoral students in research positions at universities, while waiting for relevant academic teaching positions to open. An Act to support scientific research and innovation was adopted (Ministry of Education and Science, 2024), aiming to create the conditions for overcoming the loss of talent through a dynamic, results-oriented and effective research and innovation ecosystem, with a multiannual framework programme.

6. Adult learning

Despite growing labour and skills shortages and adults’ low levels of digital skills, participation in adult learning is decreasing. A comprehensive annual employers’ survey shows a consistent increase in the estimated unmet demand for labour, which reached 20.8% in 2023 and was even higher for qualified workers with secondary education (34.7%) or with higher education (22.7%). At the same time, despite decreasing, the share of people aged 15-29 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) remains higher than the EU average (13.8% vs 11.2% in the EU in 2023). Only 35.5% of the population reported having at least basic digital skills in 2023, well below the EU average of 55.5%. The level of adult participation in learning is very low: 9.5% vs 39.5% in the EU in 2022, decreasing from its 2016 levels¹³. Low participation in adult learning weighs on productivity, employability and potential economic growth. Training needs remain substantial to achieve the national target of 35.4% of adults participating in learning every year by 2030. In this context, the 2024 country-specific recommendations also call on Bulgaria to address labour shortages and improve workers’ skills to boost competitiveness and support the green transition (Council of the European Union, 2024).

Measures on training and upskilling/reskilling the population are in place or in preparation. Under the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument, Bulgarian authorities were provided in 2024 with a set of skills policy actions to support the future development of a national skills strategy and related action plan. The development of a concept for individual learning accounts as a new tool for nationwide financing of adult training courses was initiated in 2023. Various approaches, including the involvement of Roma and youth mediators and case management, were implemented to motivate and support inactive persons, especially young people. Also in 2023, under the ESF+ Human Resources Development Programme, Bulgaria launched the ‘Training’ component of its operation of strategic importance ‘Starting a job’. The operation allows the public employment service to offer training to the unemployed that is relevant for jobs in high demand. Another operation, ‘New skills’, will benefit employers by allowing their workers to reskill and get on-the-job training, including for digital, business and soft skills. Under implementation is the creation of a platform for adult learning and training for digital skills, financed by Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan.