St. St. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Sunday School in Athens Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The St. St. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Sunday School in Athens celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Education and Science Ministry said on Saturday. The school has a total of 212 pupils, making it the largest of the 16 Sunday schools in the Greek capital.

Addressing the school in a congratulatory speech, caretaker Education and Science Minister Galin Tzokov wished the students to be happy, to overcome the challenges in life with dignity and to carry Bulgaria forever in their hearts, and the teachers - to be healthy and have strength and enthusiasm to make the school even more desired by young people to gain knowledge in Bulgarian language.

The anniversary was also marked with a scientific forum dedicated to the work of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, as well as a student concert.

The event was attended by Vice President Iliana Iotova and Ambassador of Bulgaria to Greece, Valentin Poryazov.

“The Bulgarian teachers in Athens teach not only their native language, literature, history, but also teach children something extremely important - to preserve their identity. And when they grow up, one day they pass it on to their children,” Vice President Iliana Iotova said at the forum.

She thanked the Enlighteners Cultural and Educational Society, the Bulgarian Embassy, the Cyril and Methodius Research Center at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Plovdiv University and the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad.

She highlighted some problems, including the loss, in her words, of Bulgarian university courses abroad: "Out of 200 courses in leading, European, world universities in Bulgarian language, Bulgarian literature, Bulgarian culture and civilization today there are only about 40."

The Vice President said that neighbouring countries neighbouring us are taking over these Bulgarian courses: "I will say it straight – they are being replaced by courses in Macedonian. Bulgarian books are thrown away, our country somehow still cannot find a worthy answer to all these processes." Iotova called for the establishment of a Bulgarian cultural institute, as the other 26 countries in the European Union have done.

Ambassador Poryazov congratulated the representatives of all Bulgarian Sunday schools in Athens because "they are committed to the cause of educating Bulgarian children in the Greek capital and maintaining their national identity."

/KK/