site.btaEducation Minister Tsokov: Kindergarten Enrollment Up by Nearly 10%

The kindergarten enrollment rate has increased by nearly 10% in the last two years and covers 88% of kindergarten-age children in the 2023/2024 school year, said here on Wednesday caretaker Education and Science Minister Prof. Galin Tsokov, quoted by his Ministry's press center. Tsokov was in Sofia's kindergarten No. 50, where he launched the activities under the Education Ministry's Strong Start project. Funding under the project will be provided to 1,500 kindergartens and schools with pre-school groups to support children with special education needs, children at risk, gifted children, work with teachers and parents, etc.

The Strong Start project, implemented by the Ministry of Education and funded under the European Education Programme, will allocate over BGN 105 million for measures and activities to be implemented over five years. These include additional support for the personal development of children with special educational needs, at risk, with chronic diseases and outstanding talents, general support for the inclusion of children in pre-school education, psychological support and implementation of health education and physical culture programmes, intensive work with parents and qualification upgrading of pedagogical specialists and non-pedagogical staff. A total of 75 000 children and parents are expected to receive support.

For the first time, the project will also include nursery groups in kindergartens. The Strong Start project will give a strong and equal start to different groups of children, Minister Galin Tsokov stressed.