site.btaEducation Ministry Inaugurates Special Distinction for Bulgarian Teachers Abroad

The Ministry of Education and Science has inaugurated a special distinction dubbed Awakening for Bulgarian teachers abroad. Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov awarded the first distinction Thursday to Snezhina Mecheva, head of the Bulgarian school at the country's mission in London for many years who also teaches Bulgarian language and literature. Mecheva is also a co-founder of the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad during whose annual conference in Sofia she received the distinction, the Education Ministry said.

"The name of the distinction is 'Awakening' because you are modern awakeners - far from home you preserve the Bulgarian spirit and carry it through the years," said Tsokov. It will be awarded annually by the Ministry of Education to teachers abroad, with nominations to be coordinated with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bulgarian communities abroad, he added.

Tsokov said that he had already held meetings with the organizations of Bulgarian schools abroad and they had discussed the problems they encounter. "The challenges you face are not so different from the problems of the Bulgarian education system. That is why we have to change the imposed understanding to look for individual solutions and work for the whole system as a whole," he said.

The distinction is designed like a singing cock, made by sculptor and former culture minister Vezhdi Rashidov.

Bulgaria marks National Awakeners Day on November 1 commemorating its writers, scholars, educators and freedom-fighters.

The participants in the conference were also addressed by the Chairman of the parliamentary Education and Science Committee Krassimir Valchev.