site.bta396 Bulgarian Sunday Schools Function Worldwide in 2024, Says Education Minister in Singapore

This school year there are 396 Bulgarian Sunday schools worldwide, said caretaker Minister of Education and Science Galin Tsokov to the Bulgarian community in Singapore on Saturday. He expressed hope that next school year the Sunday school in Singapore will be the 400th. Tsokov was part of a delegation led by President Rumen Radev on an official visit to Singapore.

During a meeting with the Bulgarian delegation, the Bulgarian community in Singapore presented its problems, including the lack of an embassy, inquiries about how Bulgaria can help Bulgarian communities abroad and whether it is possible to receive financial support for opening a Bulgarian Sunday school in Singapore. According to unofficial information, the Bulgarians in Singapore number about 400 people.

"The fact that the issue of a Bulgarian Sunday school in Singapore is one of the most important for you shows your commitment to Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language," Minister Tsokov noted and explained the administrative steps that need to be taken to accoplish this goal. The Minister also introduced the Bulgarian community to other national programmes that they can benefit from. 

"When you open a Sunday school in Singapore, your children will study in two educational systems, the Singaporean and the Bulgarian, and this will provide a very significant opportunity to influence and develop the Bulgarian educational system," said Tsokov.

Tsokov noted an idea to propose an agreement in the field of education and science between Bulgaria and Singapore. "We plan to organize a forum in Singapore and Bulgaria between universities from both countries in 2025," he added.

“Singapore is in the PISA rankings, Bulgaria, unfortunately, is not so far ahead, it has a stable position in the lower places and therefore it is of great interest to us how the Singaporean education system manages to achieve these results,” the Minister commented.