Education and Training Monitor 2023

1. The teaching profession

Bulgaria’s schoolteachers are among the oldest in the EU and shortages are emerging. About 50% of school teachers (ISCED 1-3) are at least 50 years old (EU average: 39%) and 31.3% are at least 55 (EU average 24.4%¹). This means that in the next decade Bulgaria will likely see half of its current schoolteachers retire. Teacher shortages already exist, particularly in primary education, in certain subjects (e.g. linked to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), English and Bulgarian) and increasingly in rural areas, where the concentration of students from disadvantaged backgrounds is higher. Teachers with higher levels of education or experience tend to be concentrated in urban areas; they are also on average younger (World Bank, 2020).

Measures were taken in recent years to increase the attractiveness of the profession and improve working conditions. Increasing teacher salaries has been a priority. With the goal of reaching 125% of the average national wage, teachers’ salaries have increased faster than average and stood at 108% at the end of 2022. To motivate more people to become teachers, tuition fees for teacher education programmes were eliminated, scholarships introduced and alternative pathways into the teaching profession created. Initial teacher education was strengthened and new opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) were developed, accompanied by obligatory participation in continuous teacher training. Various national programmes aiming to strengthen the teaching profession are in place, including mentoring and individual support for novice teachers, training for academic staff and support for teachers’ wellbeing. Training to improve teachers’ skills has also been stepped up, with the support of the European Social Fund (ESF), whereas the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is supporting the creation of a national centre and three regional centres for teacher education in the field of STEM.

Interest in teacher education programmes is high and has increased markedly but entry into the profession is rather low and retention of novice teachers is difficult. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of students in bachelor programmes in education increased by 25.2%, along with a 40% increase in the relevant Master’s programmes². As a result, in just five academic years the proportion of students in bachelor programmes that prepare future teachers jumped from 10% to almost 13% of the total, and from 8% to 13% in the case of Master’s students. Nevertheless, around 40% of graduates in pedagogy programmes and 65% in subject-specific ones do not become teachers after graduation (World Bank, 2020). Furthermore, a high percentage of novice teachers leave the profession after the first year. Despite that, a slight increase in the proportion of teachers younger than 35 is already visible: their share increased by around 3 pps between 2018 and 2022, reaching 14.2% in general education and 13.7% in vocational upper secondary³.

Attracting high performing upper secondary graduates into teacher training programmes and increasing participation in STEM-related ones are challenges. Admission to teacher education programmes is based on high-school grades point averages. For programmes preparing teachers, this remains below the average for candidates admitted into higher education, suggesting that the highest-performing graduates are not usually attracted to teaching (World Bank, 2020). Overall, the take-up of teacher training programmes in mathematics, ICT and natural sciences is insufficient to meet demand.

Despite the measures taken in recent years, several areas where there is scope for improvement remain. A 2020 review supported by the European Union⁴ noted that “while the system is guided by the right policies, standards, qualifications framework and institutional arrangement, the lack of checks and balances in workforce planning and management is leading to bottlenecks that will continue to threaten the education system”(World Bank 2020). These are linked to shortages, unbalanced distribution of qualifications across schools, an ageing workforce and learning outcomes. Among other things, the review points to the need to continue strengthening the regulatory framework and implementation processes to ensure that enough highly qualified future teachers graduate from universities – for example by further revising initial teacher education, ensuring there is a thorough certification process, etc.. Other areas for improvement identified include revising continuous professional development to eliminate fragmentation and ensuring value added in terms of student and teacher learning, and improved data collection, analysis and research (ibid). At the same time, the high drop-out rates among entry-level teachers further suggest that retention measures require strengthening.

2. Early childhood education and care

Bulgaria has made efforts to improve quality and raise participation rates but enrolment in early childhood education is still low. Capacity has expanded, the competences of pedagogical staff have improved, kindergarten fees have been removed and a three-year compulsory pre-school programme has been introduced (UNICEF, 2023a). However, the latest aggregated data available at EU level show that in 2021 only 79.4% of Bulgarian children between 3 and the starting age for compulsory primary education⁵ were enrolled in early childhood education. This percentage is significantly below the EU average of 92.5% and the EU-level target of 96% to be achieved by 2030. More recent national data suggests that the figure could be understated, possibly due to emigration: following the update to the population figures according to the 2021 census, the participation rate jumped to 88.8%⁶ in the 2022-2023 school year (see Figure 1). The participation rate is especially low among Roma (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022). Lack of places in Sofia and other large urban areas also affect participation.

Early childhood education and care services for children aged 0-3 have limited capacity and lack quality. In 2022, only 17.4% of Bulgarian children attended formal childcare⁷, compared with the EU average of 35.7% and below the national target of 30% set for 2030. One of the factors was the lack of nurseries. Services are provided by medical and support staff and focus on care aspects, but the educational component is largely missing. Nurseries are not subject to the educational standards for pre-school education, which set out mandatory competences and the conditions and processes for acquiring them. Although nurseries are obliged to have one educator, these experts are often merely nominal. To bring coherence to public ECEC services from birth to school age, Bulgaria has initiated the development of a quality framework (See Box 1).

Figure 1: Net enrolment rates of children aged 3-6 in the education system from 2017-2018 to the 2022-2023 school year

3. School education

Efforts to fight early school leaving are starting to show results. In 2022, the percentage of early leavers from education and training among 18-24 years-olds fell to 10.5%⁹. The rate is still above the EU average (9.6%) and the EU-level target of 9% by 2030. Nevertheless, it has been on a downward trend since 2020, following the introduction of an inter-institutional mechanism in 2017 to identify, register and reintegrate out-of-school children, as well as the provision of remedial education measures, largely financed by the ESF. Early school leaving remains particularly high in rural areas and for the Roma (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022). In 2022, the rate dropped especially in rural areas¹⁰ (from 27.9% in 2017 down to 19.1% in 2022). Bulgaria still remains one of the few countries in the EU where early school leaving is higher among girls (11.7%, EU average: 8%) than boys (9.3%, EU average: 11.1% ¹¹).

National standardised exams show large and growing inequalities of outcomes and strong social segregation in the Bulgarian education system. The standardised tests in Bulgarian language and mathematics taken by 4th graders in 2021 showed a significant increase in the achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students (Ministry of Education and Science, 2022). The increase was partly attributed to the greater difficulty of the 2021 test compared to 2019, which made the impact of the socioeconomic status more evident, although the impact of the pandemic was not excluded. Inequalities are based on social and territorial characteristics, ethnicity and types of schools and sections, reflecting a strong social segregation in the Bulgarian education system (ibid). The standardised test in 7th grade shows a similarly increasing gap between disadvantaged students and their peers, particularly in Bulgarian language. The latter showed two clearly distinct groups: very low achievers and students of excellence, a gap that does not appear to be due to the pandemic (ibid).

Improving educational outcomes and equity in education remain challenges for Bulgaria. In the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 4th graders from advantaged backgrounds in Bulgaria outperformed their peers from disadvantaged backgrounds by a large margin (120 score points), even though, overall, Bulgarian students scored significantly above the EU average. This wide performance gap suggests that socio-economic factors greatly affect educational outcomes and confirms similar findings from the 2018¹² OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The PISA test also showed that almost half of Bulgarian 15-year-olds lacked basic skills in reading, mathematics or sciences.

Roma inclusion remains a key challenge. In 2020, 64% of Roma (¹³) children aged 6-14 attend schools or kindergartens where all or most of their schoolmates are Roma, compared to 58% in 2016. 11% of Roma surveyed also feel discriminated against when in contact with school authorities, compared to 4% in 2016 (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022). Although general government expenditure for education is increasing¹⁴, there is scope to improve equitable funding. A recent study (UNICEF, 2023b) showed that in Bulgaria 13% of public education resources go to learners from the poorest households, while 25% go to learners from the richest households. In 2023 additional budget from the state was allocated for educational mediators, who play a key role in the integration of Roma students. EUR 114 million from the 2021-2027 Education Programme co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is specifically earmarked for measures to improve access to education for marginalised groups such as the Roma.

EU funds support the development of digital skills. Only 52% of Bulgarians aged 16-19 have at least basic digital skills, compared with the EU average of 69%¹⁵. Digitalisation in education and digital educational content have been prioritised, including with support from EU funds. For example, the European Social Fund co-funded digital skills training for teachers and will continue providing support in 2021-2027. It is also supporting the ‘Digital backpack’ - a platform to facilitate access to lessons in a digital format for school children and allow teachers to share lessons. Furthermore, the RRF is funding the establishment of STEM laboratories across Bulgarian schools to support the acquisition of digital skills and learning in STEM subjects. In addition, the RRF will support the funding of youth centres that will also provide specialised digital skills training.

In Bulgaria, environmental education is incorporated into standards and curricula at all levels of education. Aspects of education on sustainable development also apply to the compulsory pre-school programme and are integrated into the framework of general support for personal development. Educational institutions further set their own priorities related to environmental education and sustainable development. Bulgaria’s Strategic Framework for the Development of Pre-school and School Education until 2030 plans to extend learning about the green transition into kindergarten and school education, including with support from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). Such measures are especially important in the context of the 2023 country-specific recommendation calling on all EU countries to step up policy efforts aimed at the provision and acquisition of the skills and competences needed for the green transition (Council of the European Union, 2023).

Bulgaria is providing displaced Ukrainian children with educational services. During 2022, Bulgaria welcomed more than 50 000 displaced children from the Ukraine and offered language support and e-education services to those enrolled. However, only a small fraction of children receiving temporary protection attend local schools, partly due to their family’s preference for following Ukrainian education. Additional factors impacting enrolment in the education system are the limited capacities in kindergartens and language barriers.

4. Vocational education and training

Although measures have been taken in recent years to improve the attractiveness and labour market relevance of VET, further effort is needed. In 2022, Bulgaria prepared a national implementation plan in response to the 2020 Council Recommendation on VET and the Osnabrück Declaration, aiming to improve the inclusiveness and quality of VET. Dual VET is being rolled out and employers’ organisations are becoming more actively involved. The share of upper secondary students in VET is slightly higher than the EU average (52% compared with 48.2% in 2021) but is decreasing compared to previous years¹⁶.

Measures are being implemented with national and EU funds to attract new teachers and improve the key competences of pedagogical specialists. The national programme “Motivated Teachers and Qualification” supports the development of a system to monitor the impact of training on the professional development of teachers, including in VET. The EU-funded project “Support for the dual training system”, launched in 2020, includes key activities targeting teachers and trainers, such as strengthening teacher’s competences and training of mentors to improve their pedagogical skills. In addition, in November 2022, 28 schools, covering all regions of Bulgaria were selected to be upgraded to Centres of Vocational Excellence.

Additional action will support the adaptation of VET to the current and future dynamics of the labour market. The operation of strategic interest “Modernisation of VET”, co-financed by the ESF+ and amounting to EUR 35 million, was launched in 2023. As part of this operation, it is expected that 384 vocational schools will introduce modernised curricula and apprenticeship programmes, more than 2 900 pedagogical specialists in VET will upgrade their skills related to the transition to a digital and green economy and almost 36 000 students will complete additional activities and school-based practices in real working environments. Amendments are planned to the regulatory framework for VET to revise the list of professions in VET and their programmes, in accordance with needs for professional competences, including in the green and digital sectors.

5. Higher education

Tertiary educational attainment remains low in comparison with the EU average. In 2022, 33.8% of Bulgarians aged 25-34 had a tertiary education degree¹⁷, below the EU average (42.0%) and the EU-level target of 45%. Although higher by 6.6 pps than in 2012, the rate has not improved much in recent years. The gender gap remains substantial: only 27.7% of men hold a tertiary degree compared to 40.3% of women. The percentage of graduates in science, technology and engineering tends to be rather low (20.3% compared to the EU average of 25.4%¹⁸).

Student numbers have increased significantly in ICT and education but decreased sharply in several programmes that could support Bulgaria’s green transition. Due to demographic trends, in 2018-2022 the total number of bachelor students declined by 3.9%, with mixed developments across study fields¹⁹. Numbers increased strongly in education (25.2%), ICT (19.5%), arts (11.7%) and health-related fields (5.9%) (see Figure 2). 12.8% of all bachelor students are pursuing a degree in education, 7.8% in ICT and 4.2% in health-related programmes. Although the number of students in mathematics and statistics is still low, it increased by more than 19.5%. While Bulgaria generally has few students in natural sciences, the percentage decrease in the relevant fields has been much higher than average, with a 11.6% decrease in biology, 28.8% in environmental programmes and 8.8% in physical, chemical and earth sciences. For bachelor programmes preparing engineering programmes the drop was 12.9%. Nevertheless, internationalisation is increasing. Between 2018 and 2022 the number of foreign students increased by 14.9%. Foreign students account for 3.6% of those in bachelor programmes and 17.6% in Master’s programmes.

Figure 2: Change in the number of higher education students enrolled in selected bachelor programmes from 2018-2019 to the 2022-2023 academic year

Efforts to improve the quality and labour market relevance of higher education continue. The Strategy for Development of Higher Education 2021-2030 acknowledges that curricula are often outdated and not linked to labour market needs, in many instances providing theoretical training without giving students sufficient opportunity to acquire practical skills and apply the knowledge they have acquired (Ministry of Education and Science, 2021). Furthermore, the Higher Education Map, adopted in 2021 and updated annually, showed a number of imbalances between demand for and supply of educational services at national and regional level, and the labour-market outcomes of graduates. To address these shortcomings, Bulgaria is implementing a number of instruments, including a large-scale operation to modernise the higher education system²⁰, with co-funding from the ESF (see an example in box 2). Its aim is to introduce the competency model-based training, support the development of joint university programmes, facilitate the development of transversal skills and improve the competences of teaching staff ²¹. Furthermore, the additional curricula updates to be supported by the ESF+ will focus on knowledge and skills for the green transition. In 2021-2027, EUR 185 million is earmarked under the ESF+ for measures aiming to increase the quality, labour market relevance and inclusiveness of higher education. In 2024, operations will be launched to introduce dual training in higher education, support career guidance, develop academic staff and improve the conditions in doctoral programmes relevant for the labour market.

6. Adult learning

Despite action in this field, Bulgaria continues to have one of the lowest participation rates in adult learning in the EU, especially for people from a disadvantaged socio-economic background. In 2022, the share of those aged 25-64 who took part in adult learning courses decreased to 1.7% and is significantly below the EU average (11.9%)²². Participation is particularly low for unemployed people, those with disabilities or lower levels of education and skills, Roma and people living in rural and remote areas. This has an impact on the participation of those groups in the labour market, in education and training and social inclusion. Moreover, only 31% of the Bulgarian population reported having at least basic digital skills in 2021, well below the EU average of 54%. ²³

Upskilling and reskilling of the population is receiving significant EU funding, predominantly from the ESF+ but also the RRF. Aiming to reaching the ambitious 2030 target of 35.4% of adults participating in learning every year, operations have been launched to address identified challenges and barriers to human capital development and labour productivity, including upskilling and reskilling of low-skilled, low-qualified adults and those with disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, the ESF operation “Skills” (EUR 13.3 million) is aimed at upskilling the workforce, promoting professional and career development and stimulating participation in various forms of employment and training. Another ESF operation “Specific Trainings” (EUR 3.8 million) aims to address labour market needs in some of the most dynamic and competitive sectors of the Bulgarian economy, such as high-tech, ICT and manufacturing industries. The 2021-2027 ESF+ programmes will continue to support the skills of the population, aiming for a fair digital and green transition. This includes operation “Digital skills” (EUR 20 million), launched in 2023 with the goal of improving the digital skills of the inactive and unemployed, including young people. In addition, the RRF will support investment in the provision of digital skills training and set up a platform for adult learning which aims to up and re-skill the workforce by establishing a digital platform and electronic resources to promote the uptake of distance learning for adults. This investment also aims to establish a network of digital clubs across the country to cover the needs of people with a low level of digital skills and address the lack of internet access. This initiative will prioritise people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Adult educators and trainers are not sufficiently prepared to meet the needs of individual learners and the requirements of employers. There is a need to strengthen competences in methods of training for adults and regularly update and upgrade skills, including through on-the-job training in companies and mobility. Within EU-funded projects (ESF+, Erasmus+) an additional financial opportunity is being provided for adult educators and trainers to upgrade their skills. Although a major called “Adult Education” has been introduced in some higher schools, there is no national approach for competence development of trainers or educators of adult learners, as this profession does not belong to the list of officially recognised professions.