The educational environment is not only an investment in infrastructure: it is also an investment in administrative capacity, both of the staff and of the students themselves, said Kamelia Gornenska, Head of the Projects Department in the Pleven Municipality. She participated in a local conference as part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The conference took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Wednesday.
She emphasized that investing in human resources in educational institutions is important for solving problems, as it is a long-term investment that will pay off over time. Gornenska pointed out that Pleven Municipality is committed to strengthen the education through funds that are provided from several sources, adding that the municipal budget for education through state-delegated activities is set at over BGN 91 million in 2025. She noted that this marks an increase of BGN 9 million compared to 2024.
Gornenska stated that the other way to finance the education sector is through the programmes of the Education and Science Ministry. "To our delight, the directors of educational institutions recognize them and are extremely active. In 2024, we have beneficiaries under the 20 main national programmes, which are kindergartens, schools and vocational high schools," she pointed out.
A third source that can offer financial resources to solve the problems of the sector are the operational programmes of the European Structural and Investment Funds and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which finances both infrastructure projects and those aimed at human resources to increase their administrative capacity. Almost all schools in Pleven Region applied for and won projects to build a STEM environment, Gornenska said.
She noted that currently, Pleven Municipality is implementing three projects regarding the infrastructural renovation and provision of childcare facilities. "Pleven Municipality knows that by investing in the young generation, it will create people who will be the mechanism that will make our city a much better place to live in the future", Gornenska emphasized. "Based on the projects already implemented in schools and childcare facilities, there is trained staff who knows where and how to seek funding for a specific, identified problem," she pointed out.
During the 2014-2020 programming period, Pleven Municipality implemented projects related to the educational environment for nearly BGN 10 million, whereas during the current programming period, the funds are many times more, Gornenska said, adding that the Municipality strives to continuously maintain project readiness.
BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
