Planning policy

Vacants teacher spots are announced by headmasters at labor offices, Regional Education Inspectorates and Labour Offices.

Selection procedures for teachers are decentralized. Schools bears responsibility for them through a process known as ‘open recruitment’. This approach allows teachers to choose education institutions where they can find fulfillment.

Entry to the profession

The position of ‘teacher’ or ‘educator’ requires a completed higher education degree in a major approved by the Classifier of higher education.

The positions of teachers and educators are held by employment relation contracts with the headmaster of the respective kindergarten, school or service unit.

Teachers’ career development system has been introduced which includes four positions: “Teacher”, “Senior Teacher” and “Head Teacher”.

When there is more than 1 applicant for the position of “Head Teacher”, or “Head Educator” meeting the requirements, the Headmaster of the school must conduct a selection procedure according to fixed criteria.

Induction

Students, who are taught for acquiring a level of higher education in a professional field or the positions of the pedagogic specialists and persons, who have acquired a level of higher education and are trained for acquiring professional qualification of Teacher, who independently participate in the educational process under the field of a teacher-instructor shall be students-teachers. Teachers who completed higher education and professional qualification of Teacher are intially give the role of “Teachers”. In the execution of their obligations students-teachers and teachers are helped by the “Senior Teacher” and under his direction they improve their practical competence and adapt themselves to the education process.

Professional status

Teachers in the Republic of Bulgaria are employed in compliance with the general labor legislation. The types of contracts are as follows:

• for an indefinite period of time, which is the option more protective of the workplace
• for a definite period of time - this can also include test periods and/or civil labor contracts for assigning a certain volume of work of sporadic essence.

The employment contracts with the pedagogic specialties shall be signed and terminated by the Director of the kindergarten, school or support centre for personal development and with the pedagogic specialists in the Bulgarian schools abroad – by the Minister of Education and Science.

Upon appointment, teachers sign a job description (in addition to their labor contrat) to get better familiariazed with their rights and obligations as well as with the Code of Ethics for work with children.

Replacement Мeasures

In case of absence of a teacher from school for various reasons, he is replaced by another teacher from the same school or a deputy is appointed until his return. The substitute teacher is due additional payment, and when a deputy is appointed, he is provided with payment under a civil contract on an hourly basis for the actual hour taken. If the teacher is absent for a longer period of time, the director may appoint a deputy on a monthly contract.

A good practice in recent years is the National Program "No Vacant Hour", which is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science together with school principals. It is related to the financing of the classes of substitute teachers, who have to take the classes of an absent teacher until a more lasting solution to the problem is found.

Salaries

The gross salary of the staff in the state and municipal educational institutions consists of:

1. basic salary;

2. additional labor remunerations;

3. other labor remunerations.

The basic monthly salary for the pedagogical staff is remuneration for the fulfillment of the norm of teaching work and other labor duties inherent in the position, in accordance with the duration of the working hours agreed in the individual employment contract.

The individual basic monthly salaries of the pedagogical staff with normal working hours are agreed in amounts not lower than those specified in Ordinance № 4 of April 20, 2017 for standardization and remuneration of labor. When determining the basic salaries of principals, the number of children and students, as well as the type of institution they manage, must be taken into account.

Minimum basic salary from 01.01.2021

• Director of school, kindergarten: BGN 1,535.
• Assistant Director: BGN 1,420.
• head teacher, head tutor: BGN 1,350.
• senior teacher, senior tutor: BGN 1,300.
• teacher, tutor, speech therapist, psychologist, pedagogical advisor, accompanist, choreographer, sports coach, hearing and speech rehabilitator, head of ICT: BGN 1260.

The introduction of differentiated pay for teachers' work on the basis of basic criteria common to the whole country is an incentive for his own professional development on a three-point scale: teacher, senior teacher, head teacher.

The monthly gross salary of staff in the public education system may include the following additional remuneration:

1. for taking on school hours above the minimum norm obligatory teaching work, if they are not taken into account when determining the basic salary;, provided they have not been included in determining the basic salary; 
2. for professional-qualification degrees - the additional remuneration for the acquired professional qualification degree is permanent; 
3. for teaching subjects in a foreign language except of the subject "foreign language";
4. to a class teacher – for consulting parents and students and keeping the school documentation of the respective class. The additional remuneration is paid to the class teachers for the respective activities, which are carried out 45 minutes outside the weekly schedule of classes according to a schedule approved by the principal. Remuneration is paid only during the classes;
5. for free food – applies only to non-pedagogical personnel at kindergarten and personnel at school canteens and kitchens; 
6. for achievements; 
7. for checking external assessment and Olympiads students’ papers; 
8. for examining a student in part-time training, extramural, individual or independent education;
9. for conducting a state examination in theory and practice for acquiring a degree of professional qualification in the profession / specialty;
10.  for mentoring – to  support a newly appointed teacher for up to one year. 

The gross salary of staff in the national education system can include the following additional remuneration, if determined in the internal salary rules and/or a collective agreement:

1. for work under specific working conditions of the staff in the special schools, the centers for special educational support and the schools at the places of imprisonment. The additional remuneration is paid only for the actual time worked during which the person has worked under specific working conditions;

2. for official holidays or for the beginning of the school year - up to three times a year;

3. for work with children and students with special educational needs - of the pedagogical specialists in the kindergartens and the schools, conducting integrated education and upbringing;

4. for participation in teams for joint work of the institutions for coverage and retention in the educational system of children and students of compulsory pre-school and school age;

5. for conducting additional training of students who have not mastered the competencies set in the curriculum, or of children who do not speak Bulgarian;

6. for conducting additional training of students to compensate for the lack of interaction of the teacher with students who study asynchronously from a distance in an electronic environment;

7. for conducting additional training of students who have been absent from school for more than ten school days due to illness;

8. for consultations on subjects of students, who have passed in independent form of education.

With national programs or a collective agreement, with the internal salary rules of wages and/or individual employment contract may be set and other additional remuneration.

 When there is a basis for payment of additional remuneration for educational and scientific degree "doctor" or scientific degree "Doctor of Science", related to the work performed, and additional remuneration, the person receives the most favorable additional remuneration.

The types of additional remuneration of the pedagogical and non-pedagogical staff, with the exception of the directors of kindergartens, schools or service units, as well as the mechanisms for determining their amount are agreed in a collective labor agreement and / or included in the internal rules for the kindergarten, the school or service unit salary.

Assessment