New School Year Begins in Bulgaria: 720,000 Students Head Back to Class

Around 720,000 students are expected to start the school year in Bulgaria today, with 58,000 of them being first-graders, according to BNR. In Sofia, Minister of Education Professor Galin Tsokov will officially open the school year at the 122nd Innovative Primary School "Nikolay Liliev" at 9:30 a.m., and later in the day, at 2:30 p.m., he will attend the opening at "Hristo Smirnenski" primary school in Rakovski. In a special message, Tsokov urged students, especially the first graders, to dream, build friendships, and let curiosity guide them, reminding them that school is a place of support and understanding.

Over 2,300 schools across Bulgaria are welcoming students today. While some schools are still undergoing repairs, the Ministry of Education assures that this will not disrupt the normal start of the academic year. Diyan Stamatov, director of the 119th school in Sofia and chairman of the Union of Heads of the Public Education System, confirmed that schools are ready to receive students, despite ongoing renovations in some cases.

Stamatov also noted that a shortage of teachers is typical at the beginning of the school year, as many are hired around this time. However, he emphasized that this is not a new issue and has been ongoing for several years. According to the Ministry of Education, over 92,000 teachers and specialists will be working in schools and kindergartens this year.