Organisational Aspects

Raising the qualification shall be an incessant process of improvement and enrichment of the competencies of the pedagogic specialists for effective fulfillment of the requirements of the fulfilled work and for career development. Planning, coordination, management and control of the activities for raising the qualification of the pedagogic specialists shall be performed at national, regional, municipal and school level. The Directors of kindergartens and school and support centres for personal development shall be obliged to provide the needed conditions for raising the qualification of the pedagogic specialists.

Raising the qualification of the pedagogic specialists shall be carried out in:

• specialized service units, in higher school and scientific organizations, whose training programmes have been approved. The Minister of Education and Science organize creation and maintaining of information centre of the approved training programmes for raising the qualification of the pedagogic specialists. The pedagogic specialists shall be obliged to raise their qualification in programmes of the organizations in not less than 48 classes for each period of attestation.
• kindergartens, school and support centres for personal development through exchange of good practices in various forms, as well as in international and national programmes. The inter-institutional qualification shall be measured in academic lessons and for it no qualification credits shall be given. The kindergartens, schools and support centres for personal development shall be obliged to provide conditions for raising the qualification in not less than 16 classes annually for 16 academic lessons for every pedagogic specialist.

Raising the qualification shall be carried out in programmes and in forms of choice of the pedagogic specialist in compliance with the professional profile of the performed position with the professional development of the pedagogic specialist with the result and result and recommendation of his attestation, as well as with the national, regional, municipal and school policy.

Raising the qualification of the concrete pedagogic specialist shall be directed to the progress of children and students, as well as to improvement of their educational results.

Incentives for Participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities

The pedagogic specialists shall be obliged annually to raise their qualification in view to improvement of their work quality and raising the results and quality of the preparation of the children and students. On the basis of the reached level of qualification, the pedagogic specialists may acquire professional – qualification levels. The higher level of qualification shall be a basis of acquiring higher professional qualification degree.

The achieved competencies shall be expressed in a professional portfolio of the pedagogic specialist. The professional portfolio shall be drawn up by the pedagogic specialist and shall include developed materials, which prove his active participation in realization of the policy of the kindergarten or school, their professional expresses, his professional improvement and career growth, as well as the achieved results with the children and students. The professional portfolio shall assist attestation and self- assessment of the pedagogic specialist.

Upon successful completion of qualification training carried out by the institutes and higher schools, participants from the pedagogical staff receive a certificate. This certificate allows for a pay raise. 

Strategic Framework for Development of Education, Training and Learning in Republic Of Bulgaria (2021 - 2030)

Investments in the development and qualification of pedagogical specialists are a priority in the education system. The goal is not only to increase income, but also to increase the status of the teaching profession in the medium and long term. It is also essential to provide the system with trained and motivated teachers. Effective implementation of a sustainable policy for overcoming the shortage of teachers in the education system has started. In this regard, as well as to motivate young people to choose the teaching profession, one of the main measures is the government's policy to gradually increase funding for the period from 2017 to 2021. Funds have been doubled for the four-year term.

The starting teacher's salary at the beginning of 2017 was BGN 660, and for 2021 it reached BGN 1260. The achieved average salary for pedagogical specialists in 2020 is BGN 1,547 or about 11% above the average salary. for the country, while in 2015 the average salary for pedagogical specialists was about 6% below the national average.

The increase in salaries is a prerequisite for attracting more teachers and specialists with a high level of training in all educational institutions. Another measure in support of the pedagogical specialists is the payment of the expenses for transport or rent, in case their place of work is in a settlement outside the place of residence.

The state requirements for acquiring the professional qualification "teacher" regarding the increased practical training of future teachers have been changed. Alternative ways to enter the teaching profession are provided. The curricula and programs of the higher schools are being updated in order to introduce the competence approach in the education of the students in the pedagogical specialties. Courses such as "Competence approach and innovations in education", "Inclusive education", "Information and communication technologies in teaching and working in a digital environment" and others have been introduced. Measures are also implemented to increase the competencies of teachers from public universities, preparing future teachers, which are aimed at encouraging teamwork between teachers in pedagogical specialties, the creation of inter-university centers and networks for sharing personal experience and successful practices.