site.btaCouncil of Ministers Adopts National Strategy for Promotion of Literacy (2014-2020)

Council of Ministers Adopts National Strategy for Promotion of Literacy (2014-2020)

Sofia, October 22 (BTA) - The Council of Ministers has adopted a
National Strategy for the Promotion of Literacy (2014-2020),
the Government Information Service said on Wednesday. The
objective of the document is to make functional literacy a
national priority and to guarantee cooperation in the field of
literacy initiatives to be implemented by local, regional and
national authorities, social partners, teachers and parents.

Particular attention is paid to the vulnerable groups - those
where low income limits the opportunities for learning and
reduces motivation, as well as those where language is an
essential obstacle to acquiring education. An emphasis is laid
on the creation of an environment promoting literacy with a
special focus on modern information means and the role of
teachers. Specialized qualification of all teachers in modern
teaching methods and reading diagnostics has also been planned.

Focal indicators in the field of education and training, towards
which Europe is striving in Horizon 2020, have been outlined,
including an up to 90 per cent share of children from age 4
until they enroll in the 1st grade and an up to 30 per cent
reduced share of 15-year-old pupils with achievements below the
critical minimum, compared to 39.4 per cent in 2012.

The results of the international study PIRLS (Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study), aimed to measure the
reading skills of 10-year-olds (4th grade pupils), show that
Bulgaria ranks 16th among 48 participating countries from across
the world and the achievements of Bulgarian fourth-graders
amount to 532 points, against an average 500 points for all
participating countries. "The results are impressive and
indicative of the high level of primary education," the press
release says.

The tangible difference in the achievements of 10-year-old and
15-year-old Bulgarian pupils is explained by the essence of the
two studies: PIRLS is intended to measure fundamental skills of
identifying and processing information from various types of
text, while the OECD's Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) evaluates education systems worldwide by
testing 15-year-olds in key subjects, requiring them to extract
and interpret information from a text, as well as to interpret
and rationalize its content and form.