What will happen to the Romanian high school in the second term… This is the question that concerns more and more students and parents from the Profiled High School with intensive study of the Romanian language "Mihai Eminescu" (PGIIRE). Currently, the 29th SU "Kuzman Shapkarev" and Profiled high school with intensive study of the Romanian language "Mihai Eminescu" share a building under a 2015 contract, but the contract is expiring… Marieta Alexandrova, parent of a student at PGIIRE, spoke to FAKTI.
- Mrs. Alexandrova, a big controversy has been developing for several days between the Ministry of Education and Science, the 29th School and the Romanian High School. The reason is that the Romanian High School has to vacate the building of the 29th school under a 2015 contract. Why does this happen and how do you explain it?
- I don't have a clear explanation of what is happening. Perhaps the 29th school is within its rights because, after all, the building is theirs. But it is inexplicable to me how a school like the Romanian high school, which is an institution spreading foreign culture in Bulgaria, can for 25 years – I mean the Romanian one, to be left without a building. And the school has already changed four administrative addresses, respectively buildings. How can a suitable building not be found for such a school, which is important, for 25 years. We are a neighboring country of Romania, it is an increasingly developing country, and PGIIRE is the only unique school in Bulgaria that spreads this culture. They also call it a boutique school, and it will become completely boutique if a building is not found.
- Now the thesis of the 29th school is that they have more students and need all the classrooms. Are things just different compared to 2015 when the contract was signed? But everything happens in the middle of the school year…
- Here I want to note that we – parents and students, we didn't even know at the beginning, when we enrolled our children, that there would be such a case study. Every parent – apart from the excellent reviews for the school itself, he also considered the location. The Romanian school is nice, the children are very happy. Everything is on a level, and now suddenly a case study of relocation arises. There is another thing here. The Romanian school was established on the basis of an agreement with the Romanian state. The Bulgarian school is in the absolute center of Bucharest. That is, the Romanians could find a suitable building, but we here cannot find one for their school.
- Literally days ago – On October 17, the director of PGIIRE, Violeta Yosifova, released a message about the case with the contract. What's next…
- We have already organized a protest. There is a subscription created by the children, there will be one among the parents. The matter will not be left at that. On Saturday we were at the Romanian embassy. Since the Bulgarian state cannot help, I hope the foreign one will help.
- What did you talk about in the Romanian embassy?
- The ambassador was not there because it was Saturday and it was a day off. But they didn't know about the problem at all. We met the consul, who should this week - for today, if I'm not mistaken - organize a meeting for the ambassador and several parents. For the first time this year, the Romanian embassy held an open day two weeks ago, and I think that this moment should be used, because it also affects Romania as a country.
- The students, the teachers how they react to all that is happening. Second term approaching?
- They are worried because they like school. The eighth and twelfth grades are the most concerned. The little ones learn a language and the big ones graduate. Where will they end up? They have no alternative. After all, this is a language school, and Romanian is not taught anywhere else. We can't move. There is nowhere. Even if we want to go somewhere else, it won't be possible.
- Have you had a meeting with the director Violeta Yosifova? What did he tell you?
- The director expects to have a meeting at the Ministry of Education and Culture on Thursday and to comment on the matter. When we gathered for a protest, there was also a representative of the Capital Municipality, who said that they would do everything possible to keep the students from moving at least until the end of the school year, and then look for a suitable building. But this was not some kind of promise, just words in front of the media cameras. We'll see.