site.btaBudget Allocations for Education Should Not Be Smaller in Amount, GDP Percentage than Last Year's

Budget Allocations for Education Should Not Be Smaller in Amount, GDP Percentage than Last Year's

Sofia, September 30 (BTA) - Voting conclusively provisions to
the Pre-school and School Education Act on Wednesday, Parliament
 decided that budget allocations for pre-school and school
education should not be smaller in amount and GDP percentage
than those in the preceding year.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party wanted to peg the expenditures to
the latest EU average GDP percentage for education spending. The
 Patriotic Front and Ataka suggested that allocations should
reach 5 per cent of GDP by 2018. Both proposals were voted down.

Under the voted provisions, the budget allocations will be
distributed based on the number of children and students and the
 state per child subsidy set by the government.

Transportation will be provided for children in compulsory
pre-school education and students in population centres with no
kindergartens and schools. The budget will set aside allocations
 in support of equal access and personal development.

The budget allocations for children and students in private
kindergartens and schools will be set by the budgets of
municipalities in which they are seated, the number of students
and the state subsidy. Private kindergartens and schools will
have to present regular financial reports. Control over spending
 will be implemented by he municipal administration and the
regional education authority.