Students from the Vocational Technical High School in Varna staged a peaceful protest, and some of them did not come to class. They stated that they were dissatisfied with the conditions of study, the departure of teachers and the attitude towards education.
The graduates insist on a better and more effective learning environment and that the specialized classrooms be used for their intended purpose. Students claim that for technical subjects they are in classrooms for Bulgarian language, philosophy and geography, and some of the specialized software does not work properly.
“We do not have rooms with the necessary equipment for our specialized subjects“, said Velislav Mitrev, a 12th grade student from the “Microprocessor Technology“ class. According to him, training in microcontroller programming requires computers. Another student said that the available equipment is not used, although the classrooms exist.
The students also raised the issue of teachers leaving. Alexander Radoslavov linked this to allegations of increased work and reduced salaries, stating that the school is “on the verge of bankruptcy“. This claim has not been confirmed by the high school management.
The school board presented a different position. Dimitar Dimitrov said that the classrooms are used for their intended purpose and that there is a schedule for using the rooms. According to him, the computer classrooms are filled with classes.
Director Radi Dobrev said that no teachers have been fired. “There are two people who have submitted an application to leave, which is their right”, he said. According to him, the main problem is the lack of communication between the management and the students.
Dobrev pointed out that there was a parents' meeting at which issues related to the practical classes were discussed, but the conversation has not ended. He said that he will invite the dissatisfied students to a meeting to discuss the problems raised.
The high school staff came out with a position stating that it does not accept the public presentation of unestablished facts and the damage to the school's prestige. “The school employs people who fulfill their duties and bear responsibility. They are ready for open conversations with the students and to solve the problems“, the position states.
Sources: bntnews.bg