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02.08.2016The new Act for pre-school and school education entered into force today: what comes next for education in small settlements and educational integration

 

From August 1, 2016 the new Act for pre-school and school education, approved by the Parliament on September 30, 2015 has entered into force. The previous national education act and the regulations for its application (known by its abbreviation IRNEA) are already history. Expected more than 10 years (since the adoption of the national programme for development of school education in June 2006) and developed during 5 of them, the Act for pre-school and school education has the ambition to reform fundamentally the Bulgarian education, that have been in deep crisis. What will be its effect on rural education and the educational integration of children and students from ethnic minorities: two of the segments that often go unappreciated as potential for the development of Bulgarian education, but which in fact are key to make the school a leading factor in the success of every citizen and society?

The analysis below is an attempt to answer these questions, which I think are some of the most essential ones. They did not receive enough response and public attention during the discussions about the adoption of the Act. Public attention in the debate about the draft act was concentrated on relatively minor texts: eg. whether  private schools will or will not receive funding under uniform expenditure standards, like other schools, and the aforementioned topics were not discussed in depth. Moreover - the Act contains contradictory tendencies and many unknowns precisely on these issues, so it is very important to identify them clearly. The analysis is not objective: the organization I represent, has been actively working for the educational integration of the Roma community in a network with 190 schools, most of which are in rural areas. Moreover, we participated actively in the debates on the developing of the act. Nevertheless - it is hardly possible for a person to be "objective" when it comes to education ...

 

The challenges facing education in small settlements

 

I use the concept "small settlements" for the villages and towns where there is one school or no functioning school. The new act sets serious challenges for education in small settlements and at the same time offering certain "compensatory mechanisms" and even (although to a less extent) opportunities for development.

The most serious challenge which is one of the most important changes introduced by the Act is the new educational structure. According to it eighth grade will move from primary to secondary level of education, primary education will be in two stages - initial (I-IV grade) and pre-secondary (V-VII class). Secondary education will also be in two stages - VIII-X, and XI-XII grade. That change will make Bulgaria the first EU country in which primary education can be completed in seventh grade, in most European countries this happens after completed ninth grade.

In essence, this change reduces with one year the first legal leaving the education system. Currently, around 10% of primary education graduates do not continue in secondary or high school. The new act allows them to stay in school one year less. The change will also lead to changes in the school network. Probably some of the smaller primary schools will be closed due to the "dropping" of eighth grade. In others it will be hard to form a full horarium of classes for the teachers in pre-secondary school level. This will lead to the need for a teacher to teach two or more subjects, which in many cases will further worse the quality of education and will lead to an outflow of students and to eventually closure of the school. It is still too early to say how many primary schools will suffer from this challenge, but it is very likely to have a second wave of mass closures of rural schools, caused by the change in the structure of education (the first such wave was in 2008 and 2009, when the introduction of delegated budgets and unified standards closed 450 schools).

Primary schools will face additional difficulties with the early intake of fifth grade in high schools, as well as the possibility of home-schooling. They would "pull out" the most motivated students yet in pre-secondary school stage, which will further worsen the quality of education in primary schools. After all, early intake remained only for mathematical schools (despite the pressure to be allowed in the language high schools as well), and homeschooling - for children with health problems and certain gifts.

At the same time, the act provides "protection" mechanisms which will compensate losses, caused by moving of the eighth grade in secondary schools. As such can be defined the opportunity for day organization of educational process until the seventh grade, the introduction of a school psychologist in every school, regulating the addition of conditional costs for each school, etc. Additional financial support will be given to protected schools, in which the state will co-finance small classes - change passed on second reading by art. 282, para. 5, which in some cases will double their budget. Such a possibility is open to other schools with small classes according to art. 294 but how exactly will it be accomplished will be seen through the enactment of the Council of Ministers.

The Act provides - this is one of the innovations that is worth being widely acclaimed and supported - an important opportunity not only to preserve but also to the develop the school network and education in small towns: the creation of so-called. "Unified Schools", which will teach students from first to tenth grade (art. 38, para. 1, item 4 of the Act). They will give the chance to students to acquire the first degree of professional qualification. i.e. rural schools may not lose eighth grade, but to obtain ninth and tenth grades. Moreover, they can become a real educational centers that provide a wide range of opportunities for students: professional qualifications, apprenticeships, motivation to continue in the second high school and others. Thus modern schools will be the engine for the development of education in rural areas and thus will improve the quality of education nationwide.

This option is still too vague and will require serious creative effort by teachers, principals and local institutions. It will also require strong support from the Ministry of Education. Lawmakers did not finish this step and did not decide to transform automatically primary schools, which are single for a locality, into unified ones. That can happen after the opinion of the regional institution on education and a decision of the Municipal Council (acc. Art. 8 par. 4 of the Transitional and Final Provisions). The time for this to happen is May 31, 2017 (acc. Art. 8 para. 3 of the Transitional and Final Provisions).

 

So the new school 2016/17 year will be crucial for education in small towns. It will be the last year of primary school, that will train students in the eighth grade, this is provided in Art. 24, para. 3 of the transitional and final provisions of the Act on pre-school and school education. Alternatives to primary schools are losing their eighth grade (with all the negative consequences - both for the school and for students) or be transformed into unified, ie begin to train students in the first high school. I.e. the alternative is to go the way of its painfully development (including the process of convincing councilors and RIE) or face a fierce struggle for existence.

 

More about the steps to convert the primary school in unified refer to http://amalipe.com/index.php?nav=news&id=2680&lang=2

 

Prospects for educational integration

 

Hardly anyone can say what is the percentage of students from ethnic minorities. In the public space there is guessing from one quarter to over 40%. In any case, it is clear that it is a great rate and that integration cannot be onesided: the introduction of forms of intercultural education, the creation of favorable multicultural school environment and joint training of children and pupils from different ethnic groups in the same classroom is an integral part of the modernization of pre-school and school education.

 

For the first time the Act provides texts that will support policies for educational integration of children and students from ethnic minorities. For example:

 

- Introducing the standard for intercultural education: though very common as "civic, health, environmental and intercultural education" (Art. 22, para. 2 pt. 8);

 

- Provides an opportunity intercultural education to be taught not only as optional classes, but also as subjects of mandatory and optional training, something that will make the school closer to all children (art. 76, para. 5). The same is also provided for the subject Native language (art. 76, para. 5), but the state creates additional conditions for its studying (art. 16);

 

- Requires all schools to develop their own programs to reduce early school leaving and integration of students from vulnerable groups: art. 263, para. 1, p. 8 and 9;

 

- It is essential that the Act prohibits the formation of classes with students from one ethnic group in schools, which educate children from different ethnic groups: art. 99, para. 4 and 6. A similar prohibition exists for the formation of groups of children from one ethnic group in multi-ethnic kindergartens: Art. 62, para. 4. Thus the widely spread common practice for the formation of segregated classes and groups is breaking the law since 1 August, and principlas, who have committed it can be sentenced for that.

 

 The latter was "a decision in half", for MPs did not find the courage to prohibit the establishment of segregated schools in cities with multi-ethnic populations. All these issues will be further developed through a standard for intercultural education, expected to be published in September. 

 

Author: Deyan Kolev, chairman of Center "Amalipe"

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