site.btaEducation Minister Slams Universities for Failing in Teacher Training

December 10 (BTA) - Speaking at a conference on the
prospects and challenges before teacher training in Bulgaria on
Tuesday, Education and Science Minister Krasimir Vulchev slammed
 universities for failing in this department and said they are
inadequate and cater to the status quo instead of advancing
development. He said the university curricula only "aim to make
sure there are enough classes for each faculty professor until
retirement".

Vulchev also blamed the universities for maintaining losing
programmes only to keep professors busy.

He noted that education programmes in Bulgaria are not regulated
 and added that  they should be a shared responsibility of the
State and universities. "No tool to that end currently exists,
but next year a national programme will be proposed and it will
support financially universities if they make certain changes,"
Vulchev said.

The next strategy for higher education will probably offer the
establishment of networks and shared resources, the aim being to
 attract more young teachers in both schools and universities,
he added.

Over the coming decades the entire system will work with less
students, including the education faculties, and therefore it
will be necessary to have a network of shared resources and
professors. "A time may come of joint diplomas, but now is the
time to formulate proposals for the change of university
curricula in the next years," Vulchev said.

He called on universities to assist the effective introduction
of a competency-based approach in schools and the implementation
 of inclusive education.

The Chair of the parliamentary education committee, Milena
Damyanova, said that the faculties of education only teach
inclusive education and competence-based education as electives.
 

The leader of the teachers' chapter with the Confederation of
Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, Yanka Takeva, said that
Bulgarian teachers are perfectly trained. She agreed, though,
that university curricula should be changed as they have not
been touched since 1957.

Takeva called for "a complete restart of higher education,
particularly as regards teacher training". DS/BR