site.btaParliament Rejects Proposal to Have Only One Textbook for a School Subject

A bill which sought to establish a rule that there can be only one textbook for a school subject for each school grade was defeated by the National Assembly on first reading on Wednesday. The bill was moved by Atanas Zafirov (BSP for Bulgaria) and other MPs and was aimed to amend the Preschool and School Education Act.

The vote was 87 in favour and 77 against, with 26 abstentions. The proposed revisions were supported by the parliamentary groups of Vazrazhdane, BSP for Bulgaria, and There Is Such a People, and 20 independent MPs. GERB-UDF variously voted against or abstained. Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms were opposed to the bill. Three independents abstained from voting.

The sponsors of the amendments said in their reasoning that approving a single textbook for a school subject in a given school grade is a sure way to prevent corruption which compromises the quality of learning. It would also ensure that all children, regardless of the school they attend, are on a level playing field as regards their education and have an equal chance of personal growth.

Such an approach would considerably reduce the prices of textbooks and the public money spent on them.