In the festive studio of NOVA in front of the National Library in Sofia on May 24, the special guest was the mayor of the capital, Vasil Terziev.
He emphasized the broader perspective for society and the holiday. “We have achievements of our Olympians, of our athletes, we again had a finalist for the “Booker“ award. I believe that there is a rise in the national spirit and more and more reasons for joy“, he said, emphasizing that the future depends on joint efforts in education and upbringing.
With regard to Sofia, the mayor commented on the most pressing problem - the shortage of places in kindergartens and nurseries. “Everything we have promised, we are working very actively to implement. We announced the first ranking with 1300 places“, he pointed out, specifying that 23 new kindergartens and nurseries are currently being built, which will provide about 1800 more places.
“The problem is most pronounced in the nursery groups, where over 5000 children will not have a place“, Terziev admitted and added that the solution is not only in the construction, but also in the staffing. He highlighted a serious shortage of nurses, which makes it difficult to open new groups.
“A change is needed in the system - it should not be mandatory for only nurses to participate, but teachers who have undergone appropriate training can also participate“, said the mayor, pointing out that accelerated training for acquiring the necessary qualifications is also being discussed.
The conversation also touched on the problem of the single-shift regime in schools. “We have 45 schools that need to switch to a single-shift regime, with 36 of them requiring additional construction“, said Terziev, emphasizing that this requires financial support and coordination with the state.
The mayor also drew attention to transport and infrastructure, noting that work is being done on changes to the transport scheme, expanding the metro and improving connectivity in the capital. “The good news is that we have more children, more babies - our crèches are full. "Let's wish for that," he concluded.