Neither acute anxiety, nor stable calm among society regarding potential propaganda in schools in our country. Bulgarians are rather divided, and significant levels of uncertainty, ignorance of the problem and lack of information presuppose the possibility of polarization. This shows a special nationally representative survey conducted by "Gallup International Balkan" by order of BNT. The research was conducted at the beginning of September among 802 adult Bulgarians using the face-to-face method.
Following stormy scandals at the beginning of August, the National Assembly banned propaganda, promotion or incitement in schools, directly or indirectly, of ideas or views related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or determination of gender identity other than biological.
p>
The society in our country is rather divided in its concerns about the presence of propaganda of ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation in Bulgarian schools.
Yanitsa Petkova from “Gallup“ commented on the study in the show "More from the day". According to her, society is not sufficiently informed on the subject. “It is divided. The subject is highly sensitive and concerns children and the essence of man. "People are much more inclined to look at the topic through emotions, and politicians to use it," she said.
39.1% of the Bulgarians asked in the survey share that they have similar concerns. However, almost a third (32.2%) state that they are not worried about such propaganda in schools in our country. 28.7% answered that they had not heard at all or denied that the debates surrounding the legislative initiatives in the National Assembly had reached them.
An additional question, aimed directly at attitudes towards Bulgarian teachers, reinforces the division on the subject in our society.
36.8% of respondents say they are worried that Bulgarian teachers are promoting ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation. 27.6% say they have no such concerns, and a significant share of 35.6% say they have not heard of this type of problem.
The significant shares of hesitancy and unfamiliarity in the answers to both questions speak to the need for a wider public debate among all public groups and stakeholders if our society is to avoid turning the divide into a sharper polarisation.
Although the attitudes registered in the survey do not yet point to the conclusion of broken trust in schools and teachers in our country, a similar danger exists if the topic becomes the center of election campaigns and political PR.
Among the more worried about both issues are people between 30 and 65 years old, where the shares of concern on the subject reach around and over 40%. The answers "I worry" decrease as a proportion with age. The higher share of skepticism among men, residents of the capital and large cities, as well as among university graduates is striking. Although not very sharp, there are also visible differences in the electorates of the various parties, and those with a conservative orientation are expected to be more concerned.
The research was conducted between August 28 and September 5, 2024 among 802 people using the face-to-face method. with tablets. The sample is representative of the adult population of the country. The maximum standard deviation is +3.5% at 50 percent shares. 1% of the sample equals about 54,000 people.