The heavy administrative framework, inequality between schools and the lack of time for creativity are among the main problems facing the Bulgarian education system. This was commented by entrepreneur and teacher Alexander Ivanov on the air of “Intersection Point“.
The first bell marks the beginning of the new school year for thousands of students and their parents. Along with the excitement of the first day of school, however, the issue of the necessary changes in Bulgarian education is again on the agenda. Ivanov remembers 2014, when the PISA results showed serious deficits among Bulgarian students.
“The headline then was: 45% of Bulgarian children are functionally illiterate. At the time, that seemed like the absolute bottom we could possibly get. It turns out it's not. The percentage is now over 55%. Which means that most children are functionally illiterate. And that's a very serious problem," he commented.
According to him, one of the most serious problems in the system is the enormous administrative burden that takes away from teachers' time.
„I saw too many things that maybe I didn't want to see. One of the main problems is the extremely heavy administrative framework that requires teachers to slave over paperwork, rather than focus on their core mission – to prepare children for the real environment after school“, he pointed out.
According to Ivanov, teachers spend too much time on administrative activities and have insufficient time for preparation, exchange of experience and reflection on the way they teach.
“They rush from class to class and have no time for reflection. They have no time for exchange of experience. They have no time to delve deeper and try to teach the material in a way that is close to the students“, he also said.
Ivanov said that he sees sense in some of the discussed changes in the education system, especially those that are aimed at the deficiencies of the environment in which children grow up.
“There are many children in Bulgaria who do not speak Bulgarian at home. This is a very serious deficit“, he pointed out.
According to him, the gap between children who grow up in big cities and have access to successful schools and more opportunities, and those who live in small towns and rural areas, continues to increase. According to him, the language barrier further exacerbates the problem.
“When you don't have a basic understanding of the subject, and you don't understand the language in which the subject is taught at all, you can't progress and in fact you remain an outsider“, Ivanov said.
He also commented on the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence by students. Although he defines himself as a supporter of it and actively relies on technology, Ivanov warns of possible negative effects.
“The use of artificial intelligence, although I am a big supporter and rely a lot on technology, has already been proven to deepen the problem with active thinking“, he said.