site.btaEducation Minister Visits Bulgarian School in East London

Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov visited the Vassil Levski Bulgarian School in the Borough of Barking in East London on January 25. The minister was accompanied by his Chief of Cabinet Natalia Mihalevska, the school writes on its Facebook page.

The trip came in the month of the 15th anniversary of the school's establishment.

The guests talked with students and teachers. "The meeting was friendly and at the same time very useful to us, because we had a chance to share about our achievements and problems with people who have proven over the years that they heed our opinions and recommendations," the hosts said.

Tsokov and Mihalevska presented the school with a plaquette commemorating its anniversary.

The Vassil Levski Bulgarian School in Barking started functioning on January 18, 2009, the online post says. Its Founder and Headteacher is Milena Vezenkova. She also set up the Rozova Dolina (Rose Valley) Bulgarian School in Tottenham, North London in 2010, with a branch in Harlow, to the north of the British capital, established in 2021.

The Vassil Levski School in Barking runs courses in Bulgarian language and literature, history and geography of Bulgaria. Its extracurricular projects include a theatre workshop, Bulgarian folk dance groups, a Bulgarian Games Club and a Media Literacy and Journalism Club. The school observes all important Bulgarian holidays in its own special ways. It invites itinerant theatre companies, dance and yoga instructors, and many actors to visit.

The institution is on the List of Bulgarian Sunday Schools Abroad, approved by the Bulgarian Minister of Education and Science. It is licensed by the Ministry of Education and Science and works under curricula and with textbooks approved and recommended by the ministry. At the end of each school year those students who attended classes regularly receive a certificate showing how often they attended classes. The school accepts students throughout the school year, provided they come from other Bulgarian schools at home or abroad.