site.btaEducation Minister to Open Discussion on Study of Religions in Bulgarian Schools

Education Minister Krasimir Valchev will open a discussion on the study of virtues and religions in Bulgarian schools, which will be held at the National Palace of Culture on April 24, the Ministry's press centre said on Wednesday.

"More than 100 participants will take part in the forum and different points of view on the topic will be discussed. Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil, Chief Mufti Mustafa Hadji, MPs, teachers, parents and others are expected to attend. Among those invited are also representatives of the civil sector - NGOs and others," the Ministry said. 

The discussion will be broadcast live on the Ministry's Facebook and YouTube channels.

"Currently, there is also a subject called "Religion" in the Preschool and School Education Act, as an optional class. Three curricula were created and approved. One is for Orthodox Christianity with elements of confessional education, another is Islam with elements of confessional education, and the third is without elements of confessional education, focusing on the history of religions," Valchev said April 2.

On February 19, Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev met with the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil. At the meeting, they discussed the cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC). Patriarch Daniil expressed readiness of experts from the BOC to join the discussion of future changes. He stressed that this would not only help the education system, but would also give even more knowledge to children, as well as give them a moral and ethical perspective, which is a prerequisite for reducing aggression. During the meeting, the experience gained in recent years after the introduction of an elective class on Orthodox Christianity in schools and the textbooks developed for it was also highlighted.