site.btaVP Meets with Representatives of Bulgarian Schools in London Region

Vice President Iliana Iotova met with representatives of Bulgarian schools in London Region on Tuesday at the Bulgarian Embassy in the UK capital, the President's press centre reported. 

Iotova will open the Bulgarian stand at the London Book Fair. The Bulgarian participation is being held under the auspices of the Vice President at the invitation of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in London.

"We work for Bulgaria", the teachers said. They shared with Iotova about their successes and the obstacles they face. More and more Bulgarians are born abroad and start learning Bulgarian as a foreign language and this creates difficulties in learning it. Although there has been a recent trend of whole families returning to Bulgaria from the UK, Bulgarian schools are increasing and there is a shortage of teachers. The lack of adequate facilities for classes is also a problem, they said. 

The representatives of the Bulgarian schools expressed their desire to establish more and lasting contacts with schools in Bulgaria and with Bulgarian universities. Teachers also mentioned a problem with the recognition of their work experience in Bulgaria. The Vice President undertook to raise this issue with the relevant Bulgarian ministries.

The representatives of the Bulgarian schools thanked the Bulgarian State for its support. The Vice President pointed out that Bulgarian schools abroad are the best policy of the State for Bulgarians abroad. She assured that Bulgaria will continue to work for its improvement. In her words, the link between secondary and higher education should be improved. "Graduates of Bulgarian schools abroad can continue their higher education in Bulgaria and then become lecturers in Bulgarian lectureships in foreign universities," Iotova said. "There is a huge issue with the preservation of lectureships in Bulgarian language and culture. We have to stop the trend of their drastic reduction and restore Bulgaria's glory as a centre of Slavic culture," the Vice President urged.

The press secretariat of the presidential institution informed earlier that Iotova will also meet with London Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney, who is responsible for policy for children and families.