Curriculum, Subjects, Number of Hours

Typically, curriculums contain:

• the names of the compulsory, optional and free elective subjects;
• the distribution of subjects in the respective grades;
• the yearly and weekly number of school hours in each subject;
• a timetable of the school year; a description of the organization of instruction in the respective schools.

The subjects in the curriculum are integrated in the following educational and cultural areas:

• Bulgarian Language and Literature;
• Foreign Languages;
• Mathematics;
• Informatics and Information Technology;
• Social Sciences, Civil Education and Religion;
• Natural Sciences and Ecology;
• Home Economics and Technology;
• Physical Education and Sports.

Section A

Section А of the curriculum specifies the number of compulsory school hours and subjects which guarantee the attainment of the general education minimum. The number of school hours for each subject is compulsory for all schools.

Section B

Section B of the curriculum specifies the total number of school hours in core curriculum optional subjects, which provide an opportunity for further building up on the general education minimum according to pupils’ interests and abilities. These hours are added up to the compulsory ones for any subject taught to students’ academic and social benefit bearing in mind students’ interests and choices, by the schools.

Section C

Section C of the curriculum offers additional hours, which provide education according to the pupils’ choice, whether it's among the compulsory subjects or any other studies and activities.

Every school can decide on the school curriculum plan, specifyi the optional and free elective subjects, as well as the distribution of school hours among these subjects for the whole educational stage. 

Education, in terms of academic studies, is defined by:

• syllabi per subject per grade specifying the objectives of each subject;
• expected results on study content cores;
• the study content by topics, concepts, context, activities and interdisciplinary links;
• specific methods and forms of assessment of pupils’ achievements;
• brief teaching methods guidelines in view of the specifics of the subject and the peculiarities of students’ age.

Apart form the specific skills formed in the various school subjects, they include key groups of skills, which are formed across subjects such as:

• linguistic literacy
• basic mathematical knowledge
• computer skills
• communication skills
• critical thinking and problem solving
• learning-to-learn skills.

The guiding principles in defining the new study content are related to:

• the need to decrease the volume of information and the academic style of presentationt
• suiting the content to the age of the pupils and their personal experience
• making study materials more practically-oriented

​The new course books, developed in accordance with the State Educational Requirement for the study content and the syllabi and introduced together with the curriculum, provide wider opportunities to learn by thinking and experiencing, not by merely reproducing studied material.

Primary School and Lower Secondary School Curriculum

With an amendment to Ordinance № 4 of 30 November 2015 for the curriculum of 28.08.2020, approved new framework curricula are provided, which will enter in stages from the school year 2021/2022 to 2023/2024 for students from different grades.

* Project and creative activities are carried out in one school week (eg one school week at the end of classes) or in several days within the school time during the school year, incl. and for visits to cultural institutions, for sports activities, excursions, team projects in the classroom, at school or between schools.  

For the 2020/2021 academic year, the curricula before the amendment are in force and are applied.

Teaching Methods and Materials

Primary stage

In the primary stage of basic education (grades 1-4) one teacher is responsible for a single class, and teaches all the subject of the curriculum. In schools where there are more classes in the same grade (and if the school can afford it) foreign languages, art, music, physical education and sport are taught by teacher qualified in these subjects.

Lower secondary stage

In the lower secondary stage of basic education (grades 5-8) each subject is taught by a separate teacher, qualified to teach in the particular field. 

The modernization of the educational process aims at achieving the State Educational requirements through developing students’ competences and encouraging their analytical thinking, critical attitude, and creativity. The active role of students is of primary importance and there is provision for students’ free expression and development of reflecting behaviour.

There are no specific pedagogical approaches prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Science. Teachers use mainly the approaches they have been taught during their university training.

In basic education teaching is done by combining traditional methods, such as: narration, explanation, demonstration, lectures, etc. with more modern ones, such as: research, dialogue, presentations, reports, essays, enactments, etc. Activities are organized and emphasis is laid on the independent creation of products according to the specific subject taught.

Textbook selection

Textbooks are approved by the Minister of Education and Science after a fixed procedure comprised of the following steps:

• а new textbook procedure is announced;
• all textbook publishers, who are interested in having their textbook(s) approved, apply and submit copies of their textbooks;
• all textbooks submitted are assessed and evaluated by experts using fixed criteria;
• all textbooks which meet the requirements stated in the corresponding SER and syllabus are sent out throughout the country to all teachers;
• teachers rank all textbooks;
• the first three are approved by the Minister of Education and Science. From there on, every school or teacher is free to choose one of the three already approved textbooks. As for supplementary materials, there is no restriction and teachers can use any, as long as they find them suitable and useful for the students.

In addition to the previous period, it should be noted:

For every school year the Minister of Education and Science shall confirm a list of the cognitive books, textbooks and learning kits, which may be used in the system of the preschool and school education. The cognitive books and textbooks, which are not included in the list  shall not be used in the system of the preschool and school education.

The textbooks or study sets for each general education subject for each student from I to IV grade are free of charge, as well as the textbooks for each general education subject from V to VII grade, including in electronic version. One textbook or study set for each general education subject, printed in Braille for each visually impaired student and for each special subject for each student with sensory disabilities from I to XII grade, is also provided free of charge.

Currently, there is a Strategy for effective application of information and communication technologies in education and science of the Republic of Bulgaria (2014-2020).