Education Minister Оpens Discussion on Study of Religions in Bulgarian Schools

Momchil Rusev, Dimitrina Vetova

Education Minister Krasimir Valchev during a discussion on the study of virtues and religions in Bulgarian schools, Sofia, April 24, 2025 (BTA Photo/Blagoy Kirilov)

Sofia,

24.04.2025 15:33

(BTA)

Education Minister Krasimir Valchev opened a discussion on the study of virtues and religions in Bulgarian schools at the National Palace of Culture on Thursday. He stressed that Bulgarian education is secular and will remain so, as it is in all other European countries where religion is taught.

"We need to give our children knowledge and skills through which they can learn about their own past and identity, and develop their criteria for good and evil. We are not proposing a compulsory religion lesson, it would be much more an ethics lesson," he added.

"If the proposal is accepted by the National Assembly, we believe that a curriculum different from the current non-confessional curriculum should be developed, with a focus on the formation of values and virtues, a curriculum combining humanistic, philosophical, cultural, ethical education with knowledge about religions. It will be similar to programmes in Norway, Denmark, Spain, Slovakia, Germany and a number of other European countries. We currently have elements of religion in the curricula as well because the whole Bulgarian and European civilisation is a product of our Christian heritage," Valchev said.

"Our children learn about Zeus and draw lessons from ancient Greek legends and myths, why cannot they do the same for Jesus through the Bible stories. We are planning to publish the concept of the alternative curriculum by May 8, which I am learning will provide much more clarity than what we currently have," the Education Minister said.

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil, Chief Mufti Mustafa Hadji, MPs, teachers, parents and others attended the discussion.

/KK/