News

In connection with the celebration of 16 November - International Day for Tolerance, Center "Amalipe" organized a round table discussion on "The participation of parents in school life" in the village of Kardam, municipality of Popovo.

The interior of the library in the village had never welcomed so many dignitaries. Participants in the discussion were His Excellency Jonathan Allen – Ambassador of the UK, Lyudmil Vesselinov - Mayor of Popovo, Georgi Georgiev, Chairman of the Municipal Council of Popovo, Todor Todorov - Vice-chairman of the Commission for Education and Culture of the City Council of Popovo, Darina Dimitrova, Director of "Education and Culture", Municipality of Popovo, Elka Stancheva - Deputy Governor of Targovishte, Miroslav Yanchev, Mayor of the village of Kardam, representatives of RIE Targovishte, Deyan Kolev Chairman of Center "Amalipe" Nelly Nikolova - Center "Amalipe" Regional Coordinator, Desislava Stefanova, Dimitar Petrushev, Maria Ivanova, dozens of concerned parents, citizens and stakeholders.

The occasion of this round table was to discuss the fate of the school in the village. It was closed by act of the Minister of Education. Closing the school was based on a decision of the Municipal Council of Popovo, the opinion of RIE Targovishte and the opinion of the expert committee appointed by the Minister of Education, because of the following motives - reducing the number of students, which led to an inability to form classes within the legally prescribed minimum and inability to provide quality education and school process. A subsequent appeal by the parents to the Supreme Administrative Court, however, stopped the process of closure and at the beginning of this school year the school was opened.

The discussion was opened by the Chairman of  Center "Amalipe" - Deyan Kolev, who presented the main theme: leadership and active role of parents in deciding the school issue and the role of the community in the education process. ᝄ Deyan Kolev said that cooperation between civil society and institutions involved in the educational process is of paramount importance for the quality of education in the country. Regarding the future of the school in Kardam he stressed that the involvement of Roma parents to the cause of preservation is so unprecedented and Center "Amalipe" supports their efforts.

"Sofia is not Bulgaria. I make similar tours to meet the real Bulgaria”, said the British Ambassador H.E. Jonathan Allen to the representatives of local authorities, citizens and parents. According to him, it is necessary to invest in education and in this way to develop and increase the living standards in the community. About the future of the school H.E. J. Allen said he could not take sides on an inner Bulgarian question, but he urged parents and students in the village of Kardam to fight together in the name of a quality education, and appealed the institutions to do everything to ensure that no child will be dropped from school.

There was a tensed discussion about the quality of education and attempts of the Municipality of Popovo to close "L. Karavelov " primary school in the village of Kardam. The reasons are the reduction of children and lack of funds, said Darina Dimitrovva, Director of "Education". She brought some statistics for the reduction of children due to migration abroad. Concerned parents and residents of the village said that the children in the village of Kardam want to continue their education in their local school and will do everything in their power to keep the "L.Karavelov"