Meeting of Roma teachers with the Minister of Education

A meeting of Roma teachers with the Minister of Education Krasimir Valchev on the occasion of International Roma Day was held on April 8th. It was organized by the Amalipe Center and was held online. It was attended by over 60 Roma pedagogical professionals working in schools and kindergartens across the country. They were interviewed by Minister Valchev, Deputy Minister Tanya Mihailova, Director of Executive agency Science and education for smart growth operational programme  Kiril Geratliev, directors of directorates at the Ministry of Education and Science. They discussed the issues of desegregation in education, intercultural education, educational integration, as well as current issues on the introduction of distance learning, completion of the school year, MES system projects and the work of educational mediators.

The meeting concluded with a number of specific solutions to the questions raised by the teachers:

  • The MES will allow schools participating in the Education for Tomorrow  project to use the materials and supplies provided for certificates of interest, the purchase of tablets and other devices to be taken to schools. The school can provide them to students for the need for distance learning. The European Commission will be requested to use the same funds for the Support for Success project materials for the same purpose.
  • The MES will look for a way to extend the reach of families, for which kindergarten fees will be covered. More than 50% of children in kindergarten will paying no fees as of fall.
  • In an expeditiously rapid manner, the MES will require companies providing food for school lunch throughout the day-to-day organization to resume food delivery to students’ families. For some families, this is extremely necessary.
  • The Ministry of Education and Science highly appreciates the activities of educational mediators and will seek ways from those, who are on the front line, be further stimulated financially. They are already sent (in some places) and being sent (to the rest) protective clothing, disinfectants and protective equipment.
  • Ministry of Education and Science will take targeted measures to continue the employment of mediators after the completion of the project

    Support for success in each of the schools.

  • The Strategy for the Educational Integration of Children and Students from Ethnic Minorities will be updated as part of the overall 2030 Education Development Program.
  • Ministry of Education and Science will support wider introduction of intercultural education and not mix it with inclusive education.
  • The Ministry welcomes and would support the creation of digital learning tools using the children’s mother tongue for faster acquisition of literary Bulgarian.
  • MES will expand its support for the efforts of the municipalities to desegregate and prevent secondary segregation in education, and would support legal changes limiting school segregation.
  • The ministry will propose to drop the tuition fee for specialty “Pedagogy by…” for higher education students.

Topical issues were discussed regarding the upcoming Support to Success project, the end of the school year in a state of emergency, and a number of others. Expect detailed information on the Amalipe Center website.

A meeting of Roma educators with the Minister of Education has been organized annually since 2013 by the Amalipe Center and the Ministry of Education and Science.

More photos from the event can be seen here.

Photo source of Krasimir Valchev: MES