Новини

Investment in education is the best prevention of early marriages and early pregnancies. National survey conducted by the Center "Amalipe" and "Open Society" Institute shows that every higher level of education rose the age for early marriage with three years and each year in school is important. Law on pre-school and school education "cut" classes in primary schools from eight to seven. The law allows primary schools in villages to become "united" (ie teaching students till 10th grade), but now the Ministry of Education discusses criteria that will make impossible the development of such schools. Thus, many of the Roma children in the villages will stop attending school after the seventh grade. This will reduce the age for early marriages and births, and will return this vicious practice in places where it was missing.

The news of the birth of Dinko, son of 13-year-old Zlatka from "Nadezhda" neighborhood in Sliven became a media sensation, as expected. Not only because early in January we are always "hungry" for news (even the upcoming cold and snow became a news!),  but because even those who claim the opposite are aware that cases of very early births are rare exceptions, and are concentrated in a few urban ghettos: "Nadezhda" in Sliven (but not in the other Roma neighborhood in the city, a home to more than 150 graduates) in Burgas ghettos,  "Stolipinovo" in Plovdiv and significantly less elsewhere. These cases might be reduced and will become the "exotic" exceptions in several years ... But it is quite probable scenario in which the Ministry of Education returns "back in the game" early pregnancies, and takes them out of urban slums to villages. This can happen if the creation of so-called "united schools" (1-10 grade) is prevented, and closure of schools in the villages after they lose eighth grade is stimulated.

A national survey of family attitudes, and relationships implemented in Roma neighborhoods and districts by Center "Amalipe" and "Open Society" Institute in 2010 pointed gradually increse of the age for early marriages in the Roma community, and this happened even within the most conservative groups (Kaldarashi and Burgudzhii). In 2010, the average age of first cohabitation was 18 years and 4 months, with spatial concentration presenting: Roma in Southeast Bulgaria married at the earliest age(especially in the districts of Sliven and Burgas), and in Southwestern region Roma married at older age. The study revealed three statistically significant factors that raise the age for first marriage, as education is the most important: every higher educational level rises by three years the age for early marriage and the first marital cohabitation occurs on average between 1 and 3 years after leaving school. Study, made by Center "Amalipe" in Veliko Tarnovo region in 2015, confirmed these trends, as the most early marriages (at the age of 14) are an anachronism, occurring in only 2 settlements.

Law on pre-school and school education introduced the so called "a new educational structure," predefined in 2006 by the National Programme for Development of School Education. So 8th grade will move from primary to secondary level education, primary education will be in two stages - initial (I-IV grade) and lower (V-VII class). Secondary education will also be two stages - VIII-X, and XI-XII grade. That change will reduce classes in primary schools from eight to seven and will become Bulgaria's first EU country in which basic education can be completed as early as seventh grade, in most European countries this happens after completed ninth grade. It will also lead to changes in the school system: many schools in smaller villages will have serious problems as the reduction of students will reduce the delegated budget, and having three grades (one class in grade, which is the general case in rural schools), it would be difficult to form norms in junior high school stage. It is likely to follow the wave of closure of rural schools: it would hardly be so massive as that which followed the introduction of delegated budgets (450 schools were closed in 2008 and 2009), but dozens will be seriously threatened. The bitter experience clearly shows that the proportion of Roma children from settlements with closed schools, especially girls, drop out and do not travel to Central School (although having free transportation). Early marriage and childbirth is what happens to them afterwards.

Law on pre-school and school education gives the opportunity of primary schools to be transformed into the so-called "united schools", which will train students from first to tenth grade, who will be able to acquire the first degree of professional qualification. I.e. rural schools may not lose eighth grade, but to acquire ninth and tenth grades, which will certainly keep in classrooms many young people who would otherwise be dropped, and will increase the percentage of Roma, graduating secondary school. Unfortunately, lawmakers do not consumed to finish this step and did not decide to transform automatically primary schools, which are single in a given settlement into  united ones. This could happen after the opinion of the Regional Education Institution and decision of the municipality.

So this academic year 2016/17 will be the last in which primary schools will train students in the eighth grade, this is stated in Art. 24, para. 3 of the transitional and final provisions of the Law on pre-school and school education. Alternatives to them are losing their eighth grade (with all the negative consequences - both for the school and for students), or transforming them in united, i.e. begin to train students in the first high school level. According to Art. 8, paragraph 3 deadline for that is May 31, 2017. Then the procedure will be more complicated. Two institutions that must be earned for the cause of United Schools: acc. p. 4 of Art. 8 transformation happens after consulting the Regional Education Institution and decision of the City Council. The role of the City Council in this case is logical: these are municipal schools. The REI opinion was introduced as an additional protective mechanism: to recommend those schools, which municipalities haven't chosen because of political reasons.

Recent weeks have revealed a different trend. Some REI -s presented to school principals indicative criteria and some even have been advising them not to try to transform their schools into unified, because they will not receive a favorable opinion of REI. Indicative criteria require such school to have trained at least 20 students in each of the last four years and a number of other requirements that the majority of rural schools cannot cover, and which are unjustified high: eg. why 20 and not 18 students; why past years matters, not those coming forth, etc.

Of course, these criteria are semi-legal, i.e. indicative: The Ministry has not approved any criteria for unified schools, and have not negotiated it with the National Association of Municipalities. And in any case, the decision of the City Council is leading to municipal schools.

One might ask yourself, "Why MES, at least at that time did not support, and even prevent the formation of united schools, after the legislature has given this opportunity?". Probably, upset by the demographic crisis, administrators in the Ministry decided to overcome it by stimulating early births: more young people - early school leavers = more early marriages and early births. Probably this is not the reason, but these will be the consequences.