Schools in Bulgaria are a very important topic for parents. Those parents who move to Bulgaria with children school age. Why don't I say "to the kids"? Therefore... after reading this text you will understand.

Of course, there are schools in Bulgaria, there are many of them and they are different. In the sense that in Bulgaria there are a lot of state secondary schools, and in Sofia and Varna there are private and foreign schools. I don’t know about Burgas, probably there is one too. But, of course, most schools are located in Sofia and this is logical.

School in the center of Sofia 6 OU "Count N.P. Ignatiev". The “basic school” type, that is, up to the 7th grade. It was founded in 1888 and the building was built in 1915.

When you move to Bulgaria for permanent place living with children, you are concerned about choosing a school - where to study for your child, where he will be given the best knowledge, where he will feel good, and so on.

Therefore, for some reason, many parents immediately set their sights on or other “Russian” schools in Burgas and Varna, and at the same time are not at all aware of why they are doing this. They just think it will be better this way. Why? Why do you think that the level of education in the embassy school in Sofia or something else - in the "Russian" Burgas or Varna school - is better than in any other Bulgarian school? Where do you get such confidence? If you don't know anything about the country yet... If you do this because the child doesn't know the Bulgarian language, but then he will never learn it at all.

I don’t understand the desire of people to escape (“evacuate” as they say) from Russia in order to infiltrate Russian system. This means replacing awl with soap. This means not respecting the country they moved to and not trusting it.
I mean people who make a conscious choice, who were preparing to emigrate and collecting information, who are “sick of everything in Russia.” Not about expats, refugees and not about those who fell from the moon - there are also those who accidentally arrived at the last moment and need to run somewhere to study.
I’m talking about planned serious emigrants who decided that they were not on the same path with Russia, soberly chose Bulgaria to live and spent a long time looking for schools for their children. And so they went to school at the embassy in Bulgaria, thus deciding to “stay in the system.” Hey, that's what they say. To me.
For what? Why exchange an aquarium for a three-liter jar?

By the way, in the embassy school there are people who study there no longer in the first generation. Interestingly, most of them received higher education at Sofia University.

More details

We must start with the fact that the question of where they teach better in Bulgarian schools or in Russian ones is not correct. Bulgarian schools have a different program and a different method of presenting knowledge. Bulgarian schools in their attitude to the learning process are comparable to Russian universities - they give everyone everything, but whether they take it or not is their problem. Children learn in a state of great freedom, which we are not at all used to. There are no diaries (there are Belezhniki, which is not the same thing), knowledge is tested by tests - whoever has not studied and done the assignments is a fool himself. That's all. This is the Bulgarian education system in a few words.

The rating scale is six-point, but it means little, since tests are mainly assessed and those in fractions (no attention is paid to current assessments). That is, the teacher can give the child no 6 A 5,45 , and three does not mean two according to our system. The academic year begins on September 15 and ends in June. The older the class, the longer the children study, that is, until June 30 inclusive!

Schools in Bulgaria are specialized. For example, in Sofia there is secondary school with a musical bias - they fully teach music and playing the musical instruments in parallel with all the necessary sciences. There is also a sports school and art schools.

In Bulgaria, education is divided into three phases: primary, pre-gymnasium and gymnasium. In total it turns out to be 12 years. After 7th grade, children take an exam like our Unified State Exam, only it’s called “ " . Based on the results of this exam, the child chooses a gymnasium or technical school. The higher the matric score, the greater the chances of entering the best educational institution and completing the remaining five years of study there. And, in general, the matura is the European Unified State Exam and its presence is very important for admission to European universities.

Criteria for assessing tests in a Bulgarian school

It’s different in the Russian system and you yourself know how.

But! One should not think that the embassy school is an example of Russian classical education. She is very far from this. This school is only good for the children of diplomats - everything in their lives is already quite clear. This school offers little to everyone else.

First of all, I’ll tell you a secret - the program there is old. I'm talking about the middle classes. The program under which the embassy school operates is several years behind the program high school regional center in the Russian Federation. I checked this personally.

Secondly, at the embassy school there is a complex hierarchy of relationships between the director and parents. Here those who have money pay, if they don’t pay they must be geniuses, or problems are guaranteed. This is a sad fact. Unmercenary geniuses are not offended at school, but this status is too rare and does not apply to everyone.

Thirdly, the level of knowledge strongly depends on the teacher, and the teaching staff at the embassy school is in constant turnover.

Fourthly, the embassy school is not at all concerned with the education of your children - they have a different task there. If you understand the status of the school (for children of diplomats) and understand how teachers come there, then it will become clear to you that the embassy school is a place for the secondment of teachers and placement of relatives of diplomats who arrived in Bulgaria on a business trip for work, rest and entertainment.
Of course there are exceptions, but that’s why they are exceptions.

In the latter, only primary education. And only if you are lucky with a teacher. The fact is that in Bulgarian schools primary education is Russian kindergarten- by level. But ours teach - they really teach. But after the fourth grade the trouble begins. That is, depending on your luck. If your child is a genius and you are too, and you have money for tutors, and then for legalization of a diploma and admission to European universities, then everything is ok. What if not? Then why do you need all this?

If you have already left the Russian Federation, then let your children immediately immerse themselves in a different environment, learn a language, learn to live differently, they will receive a European school certificate and be able to enter European universities for free. If there are enough points, and if there are not enough, then you will pay, but less and without unnecessary troubles with a Russian diploma.
Who studies at the school at the embassy in Bulgaria: children of diplomats, Bulgarians and people who decided to stay in a three-liter jar, as they say, “in the system.”

Parents who came to BG with their children send their children to Bulgarian kindergartens, because there are no others, and from there they go to Bulgarian schools and do not experience any hesitation or problems with assimilation.

I also advise all new arrivals to enroll in Bulgarian schools. Unless, of course, they have serious intentions for their future lives and the lives of their children.
Which Bulgarian schools are the best? I don't know. But that's not a problem. You can freely move from one school to another completely officially twice during the entire period of study (and as many times as you like). at will). After primary school and after secondary (7 grades).

Will your children know Russian grammar and so on? Of course not. What did you want? Now it is your job to solve such problems. But you brought them to a foreign country. For what? For a better life? What does this mean in the first place? First of all, this is successful assimilation, which can only occur in society, that is, at school. And nothing else.
You want your children to become Europeans, so send them to European schools. If you think that Bulgaria is not Europe, then what are you doing here?

This is my personal opinion and it depends only on my own experience and analysis of observations. It’s not my job to please anyone, so there’s no point in being offended by it.

P.S.
1. At the Russian school at the embassy in Bulgaria they do not teach the Bulgarian language and there is no after-school program. At the same time, in most schools in Bulgaria they teach Russian and have an after-school program.
2. In the embassy school, education is paid for everyone except diplomats; in Bulgarian schools, education has recently been free for Russians too.

Bulgaria is famous for its strong educational traditions. There is a developed system of both state educational institutions and private universities. After the country became a member of the European Union, education in Bulgaria moved closer to the European standard.

If you are interested in studying in Bulgaria, contact the E&V Advisor company, we will help you enroll in a Bulgarian university. Our company has long been engaged in helping Russian applicants enroll in foreign universities.

With our participation, you can go to study anywhere in the world and become a foreign student.

Obtaining higher education in Bulgaria

There are 42 universities and 41 state college. With our help, you can enroll in any of them.

Higher education in Bulgaria is similar in structure to the European model, that is, training takes place in 3 stages:

1. Students study for a bachelor's degree for 4 years;
2. To obtain a master's degree, you will need to study an additional 1-2 years, after which you must pass thesis and state exams;
3. To obtain a doctorate, a student will need to study for another 3 years, and it is mandatory to complete a research project and defend a dissertation.

We will help you enroll in one of the most prestigious Sofia universities - the University of St. Kliment Ohridski, where students can choose one and 91 study programs in the field of science and humanities. Here you can get an education in the field of journalism, economics, philosophy, business administration, pedagogy, law and so on.

Preparation for admission to a Bulgarian university

To prepare for admission to a Bulgarian university, we offer to take preparatory courses. The duration of the courses is usually 1 year. Training in preparatory courses in Bulgaria is conducted in German, Bulgarian or English.

Completing the courses greatly increases the chance of admission to Bulgarian educational institution, those applicants who have not completed the preparatory courses must take a test of knowledge of the Bulgarian language, and the test result must be at least B2.

We will help you decide on the choice of suitable preparatory courses, depending on what specialty you are going to study for. Contact us and we will help you get an education in Bulgaria.

Tuition fees at Bulgarian universities

The cost of studying in Bulgaria for foreign students varies from 2.5-3.5 thousand euros per year. The price depends on the prestige of the university. For example, at Sofia University. St. Clement of Ohrid, the cost of annual training for bachelor's and master's programs is 3.3 thousand dollars per year, and for the doctoral program - 5.5 thousand euros per year.

But for Russian students there is a big advantage, they can get education in Bulgaria for free, according to the Cooperation Program signed in 2008 by the governments of Russia and Bulgaria.

If we talk about the cost of living, it is relatively low - approximately 250-300 euros per month. We can help you get settled in a hostel in Sofia, the payment for accommodation in this case will range from 35 to 150 euros per month.

Our advantages

• We offer our clients large selection universities, institutes and colleges;
• We will select the optimal training program for you;
• If you do not speak Bulgarian, English or German, then you can take language courses of any duration and intensity in our company;
• We will help you undergo preparatory training in Bulgaria at special courses, where you will be prepared not only for admission, but also for further studies at a university. The courses intensively study the main language in which the subjects will be taught, applicants are taught to take notes on lectures, highlighting the main essence, speak in front of a large audience, defend their point of view, and so on;
• To study in Bulgaria, students need to obtain a long-term visa. We will help you with obtaining a visa and collect standard package documents;
• We will take care of all organizational aspects: we will establish contact with the university, organize your flight, meeting and accommodation;
• With our help, a huge number of students have entered foreign educational institutions in all corners of the world. All of them received prestigious diplomas and were able to realize themselves in life.

It is important for every foreign student to feel supported at first in an unfamiliar country. If you want to get an education in Bulgaria, but have doubts because you don’t want to immerse yourself in a foreign culture, contact our company, with us the adaptation process will be much faster and easier. We guide our clients from the moment they enter university until graduation.

More and more often they are asking questions about secondary education for migrant children in Bulgaria, I hope that I will answer some of these questions with this post. Moreover, he is the father of a schoolgirl who has been studying here for the fifth year, so I know the question not only in theory;-)
First, a few words about the average system school education- in Bulgaria it is not very different from the Russian one, as far as I understand. Basic education consists of two stages: primary (grades 1-4) and pre-gymnasium (grades 5 to 8), followed by the gymnasium stage grades 9-12, which results in secondary education.
Schools and gymnasiums in Bulgaria are varied in their subject matter and quality of teaching. I’ll immediately answer the question most often asked by Russians - what’s up with schools in Russian - in all of Bulgaria there is only one school where teaching is in Russian (and according to the Russian curriculum, which is typical) this is the school at the Russian Embassy in Sofia (Yours Truly in At one time I studied there for 4 years). In Bulgarian schools, teaching is conducted in the Bulgarian language and at most there are parallels in which Russian is taught as a foreign language (from the first or fifth grade). Although there are a couple of bonuses from teaching a Russian speaker in such a school - if a child is just starting to speak Bulgarian, those classmates who are learning Russian will be able to help him, and he, as a native, will be able to help them with Russian. Therefore, it makes sense to send your child to such a school - adaptation will be easier.

For example, this was the case with us. Due to the fact that the first school year preceded by travel and within a year the child changed 5 cities and three host countries, to minimize stress we decided to go to the embassy school in first grade (especially since I have the warmest memories of it). At this school we were immediately informed that, by default, only the children of diplomats and Russian citizens working under international treaties study there, and the rest are paid and only if there are places available. To get into the first class, we had to pass a preliminary test, which we did already in February. In August they brought a birth certificate, a medical certificate and everything, according to the rules it was also necessary to provide a document confirming the basis of stay in Bulgaria, but by September 1 we had not yet paid attention to migration and we did not have such a document (except for a D visa).
Education at the school was conducted according to the Russian program, with teachers from Russia, but at the same time the school was licensed in Bulgaria and studying there was the basis for the child to obtain a residence permit (our first year it was on this basis that we were here, since my wife and I visited Bulgaria on visits on visa C). Financial side question - a monthly fee of 160 USD, textbooks, as in Russia, were issued free of charge in the library, and school “extortions”, so popular in the Russian Federation, were 50 leva (a little more than 25 euros) per month, including the cost of breakfast. We studied like this for two years, then, when my daughter had already mastered the Bulgarian language well, they decided to transfer her to a Bulgarian school - there were several reasons, one important one - the army discipline and the constant “formations” at school were very annoying, as well as the great-power corrals, which sounded especially ridiculous in class, where half of the students are not citizens of the Russian Federation. And it was a bit far from home - the journey took 40 minutes. Therefore, we decided to transfer to a Bulgarian school closer to home. In the Russian school, at first they left her in correspondence - there is such a form, but after the first half of the year they gave up - we just take textbooks and teach her Russian ourselves, and she will learn the rest of the subjects in the Bulgarian school.
In general, documents from Russian school after translation and legalization, it must be given to the education inspectorate (each region has its own), so that they recognize the existing level of education and determine which class the child will go to study next. Upon recognition of a completed class, a certificate is issued according to the sample, which indicates the recognized class or academic semester or educational degree, professional qualification and assigned equalization examinations (if required). The certificate indicates grades for academic subjects from a foreign document, equivalent to the Bulgarian six-point system, in which the highest score is 6.

But this cup passed us by, since the embassy school is licensed in Bulgaria, we submitted the documents (Application, certificate from the school, and a copy of the personal card - this is a Bulgarian ID) directly to the school. And that’s it, the child was safely accepted into the class where one could choose Russian or English as the first foreign language. Of course we chose English. My daughter had no problems with the language at all, and she passed her first test in the Bulgarian language better than anyone in the class. Despite the general similarity of the programs, the difference was felt and not in favor of Bulgarian education - part of it. What we did in the Russian school in the second grade, we did here in the third. There was no discipline at all, which at first seemed joyful after the press in the Russian school, but then it became stressful, as several idiots regularly disrupted the educational process.

Textbooks for Bulgarian schools are cleverly divided into textbooks, which are issued from the library, and various aids and workbooks, which you need to purchase yourself. In elementary school it was easier - the class teacher ordered from the publishing house centrally and at a small wholesale discount. Now in 5th grade you have to buy everything yourself, but that’s not a problem, fortunately they are sold on every corner. But they turn out to be a little more expensive. In general, it was not very stressful, the total cost was about 60 levs. Like in a Russian school, in a Bulgarian school there are many clubs, but you can only enroll in one for free; if somewhere there is a shortage, then already in the process you can go to another. The training is five-day in two shifts, and the shifts change in the middle of the year - in February, the first time we did this shift and the child had to skip the school day after the holidays)))
The holidays are somewhat different from Russian ones - the first autumn is actually 1 day + 2 days off, from November 1-3, then Christmas from December 24 to January 5, then winter from February 1-4, spring from March 29 to April 4 and summer from June 15 to September 15 (the time of the stable season on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast))) They also relax on national holidays, plus national holidays schools still have their own - the date of foundation, the birthday of the person whose name it bears and all that. In general, Bulgarian schoolchildren have holidays not much less than their Russian comrades. The only thing that bothers me is that school starts in the first shift - 7.30, and you have to be in class at 7.15!
It was interesting to find out what kind of “extortions” exist in a Bulgarian school. We were looking forward to the parents' meeting to find out the amount - it turned out that the school has a trustee fund (a separate legal entity) and each class makes contributions of 20 leva (a little more than 10 euros) per half year. Moreover, funds from the trustee fund cannot be spent on security or repairs, since this is paid for by the community. A representative is elected from the class to the board of trustees of the fund. In the third class, we paid the fee for the year, but our representative was unable to obtain an account of the expenditure of our class funds and, as a result, next year our class decided to forget about the trustee fund, they did not join the council and did not pay fees either, since this is a voluntary matter))). Actually, that's all. At the new school, we were happily informed that the projector and screen in the classroom were purchased with funds from the trustees, as well as new desks, since the community gave money for some crap ones, and the parents wanted anatomical ones for the children - so they donated their money. In general, I personally don’t mind spending 20 euros a year in this fund, as long as it’s clear where it’s spent.
In general, at the end of primary school, our daughter began to speak Bulgarian at a native level, and with absolutely no accent, which shocked her director new school at the interview - she was sure that in the family we speak Bulgarian))). What prompted us to transfer to another school was that the old school reported that the second foreign language there will be Russian in the class, and the other parallels are already crowded with people, so it’s impossible to go there. I had to go to another, more advanced school, especially since my daughter really wanted to learn Spanish, and in the old school there was no such option.
Now regarding expenses, for example, our expenses for a fifth grader in this academic year- stationery and teaching aids 80 leva, fee to the board of trustees 20 leva. Plus, since 2009, this school has been “smoothly” introducing school uniforms, a set of which costs 78 leva. But, in principle, you can get by with a vest with a school badge, which costs 20 leva, and simply wear the rest of your clothes to match your uniform. Well, optional expenses are excursions around Bulgaria and surrounding countries 20-70 leva depending on the duration, a swimming pool - 20 leva per month and all that.
And, in conclusion, regarding payment for education in Bulgaria, the legislation here does not yet meet international requirements on the availability of secondary education for everyone, regardless of citizenship and status of stay in the country. The current law “For the people of enlightenment” makes it possible to receive free education only to children of citizens of EU countries and the European Economic Community, while citizens of other countries are given this right only if they have the status of long-term or permanent residence in Bulgaria. Those. According to the law, citizens with residence permit status must pay for education. This norm was challenged by our fellow citizens Ponomarevs in the ECHR, and in 2011 a verdict was made that it was unlawful and discriminatory. Detailed analysis of this verdict

To realize themselves in life, many of our compatriots send their children to study in other countries, or even improve or change their qualifications abroad. Universities are popular European countries and the USA. But the state is different from the state; for example, education in Bulgaria is not so sought after large number Russians, in comparison with the number of those who are ready to go to the UK or Germany. Meanwhile it is very decent option.

The first obvious advantage of choosing this direction– after studying you can receive a European diploma. It opens up the chance to look for work in the most developed countries. Unlike a domestic document on education, which will have to be confirmed, or even re-learned from scratch.

The second plus is the price of the issue. The Bulgarian Ministry of Education adheres to a balanced policy in this regard. Therefore, the cost of a diploma is lower than in a number of European countries. It's nice that the quality of education is quite high.

As for the disadvantages, the main problem may be the language barrier. Because you need to be able to speak English or Bulgarian. In the second case, you can take language courses, which are usually offered at universities.

Education system

You can safely move to Bulgaria with your family, as there are all conditions for education for both small children and school graduates. Educational system developed. There are both public and private institutions. Different levels have their own requirements for foreigners: in some cases it is possible to study for free, but this is not always possible. The Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria puts forward strict requirements for all educational institutions. Including private ones, general standards must be observed when drawing up programs.

Preschool

There are public and private kindergartens in Bulgaria. Only the first ones are almost impossible to get into: there are long queues. However, they are not free: tariffs are different for visitors and local citizens. Private kindergartens are more expensive. But they also know how to attract parents. As a rule, they are more modern and well equipped. Back in syllabus include additional development programs.

Secondary education

In Bulgaria, it is customary to divide education in schools into several degrees. The first, primary, includes from 1st to 4th grade. Then the children are required to study for another 4 years - this is called pre-gymnasium education. After this stage take exams on knowledge of the Bulgarian language and mathematics, then the child chooses a gymnasium of a certain direction. Studying in Bulgaria at school is considered complete after the 12th grade.

Higher education institutions

Local universities attract quite a lot of interest from visitors. Although their activities are regulated by general laws, they are completely autonomous. Universities can be both private and public. Higher education in Bulgaria is quite complex system. It is customary to divide institutions of this level into three broad groups:

• university;
• specialized higher school;
• college.

A university can be called an institution where at least three main fields of science are studied. There are strict requirements for it: at least 70% of lectures must be given by certified persons and teaching staff who work on a permanent contract.

Feature of specialized higher school is that one of the main types of science is taught here. At the same time, it is characterized by scientific research and artistic and creative directions. Colleges offer bachelor's degrees.

Which option should you choose for your studies? It is worth recalling that this is the weak point of the state. It’s not so easy to find a job, especially for newcomers. So the direction and type of institution should really be chosen carefully, taking into account the trends of the vacancy market.

How to enter college

To successfully become a student in Bulgaria, you have to make a timely decision about where to study, collect and submit documents. This can be done as early as mid-summer. Since universities review the papers and make a decision, they accept the applicant for training before the start educational process. And it starts in different ways: approximately from September 15 and over the next month. But some institutions recruit twice a year. The second time, in February, they admit students, focusing on immigrants from Asian countries.

Collection of documents

Key Point– preparation of a package of papers. What documents do Bulgarian universities require? You will need to fill out a form and attach a copy of your passport. It is necessary to obtain a medical certificate and have it translated into Bulgarian, certified by a notary. You will also need a copy of your high school diploma. You will need to pass an international exam English language and attach a document with the recorded result. If the applicant previously studied at another university (for example, in his homeland), he will be required to academic certificate.

Conditions for foreigners

In most cases, you have to pay to study in Bulgaria. Moreover, money will be needed for kindergarten, school, and university. However, conditions for foreigners are different. According to general rule, education in Bulgaria for Russians and other migrants is paid by default. But exactly how much needs to be contributed to the educational institution depends on the situation.

Thus, studying can be cheaper if a foreigner has a residence permit, has passed exams and knows the Bulgarian language. By the way, no one is stopping you from applying for a scholarship. Successful students also have broad prospects. For example, they may be offered free additional courses, sometimes even a second higher education. This is very profitable, especially if you plan to get comfortable here and get .