Primary school “St.St. Cyril and Methodius ”Ihtiman – home of history and traditions

Today we will tell you a little more about a school with a long history and established traditions – Primary School “St. St. Cyril and Methodius ”in the town of Ihtiman. The school is part of the network of Amalipe Center, created under the program “Every student will be a winner”, funded by the Trust for Social Achievement.

Why do we want to tell you about this school today? Because it is a good example of how history should be remembered and spread among future generations. Over the years, the management and the team of “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” have made considerable efforts to return to its beginning and to collect the stories related to the establishment of the school. And today they pass them on to their graduates.

Its history dates back to 1948, when the first class was opened, consisting of about 60 children between the ages of 7 and 14. Due to the lack of a building, the training took place in one of the rooms of the Roma neighborhood, in the home of Yashar Mehmedov. The first teacher was Petar Yankov. Until 1958 children from the Roma neighborhood were educated in private homes using rooms in different houses. In 1958, a new school building was opened in the Iztok district, which welcomes its first graduates. The building was built with the voluntary work of parents and teachers. From morning till night for months, these people baked and transported bricks with their own hands and put their heart and soul into the school, which makes it even more valuable and loved.

The stories of the creation of the school remind us how much people can create if they are united around a common cause. And how ethnicity, position

and opportunities do not matter when a school has to be built – everyone builds together. Surely today we too can learn from this example.

Since its inception, the school is named “Nikola Kerezov”, and in 1992 was renamed to “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. Today it numbers 773 children and students from 5 to 14 years old. They study in 4 school buildings. In addition to the traditional, the school has room for the modern. Students have at their disposal 2 fully equipped computer rooms, and almost all rooms are equipped with multimedia and modern “touch screen” monitors. The goal is for students to meet all the requirements of the modern world and be prepared for real life.

In their work with students from the Roma community, the teaching staff knows the traditions and customs of the Roma and strives to preserve their identity, while integrating them into the modern world. All holidays are celebrated, both Roma and Bulgarian. This fosters tolerance and respect in students and the community.

Educational mediators are part of the school team. Interestingly, they are a family – a mother and her two daughters Elena and Nina, who are currently university students. The father supports them and understands closely how important the work of the educational mediator is, helps his relatives in their activities with children and families at every opportunity.

The students of “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”are active and empathetic, organizing or participating in many charity campaigns. You can get acquainted with such an example from the video below, which was created at will by a schoolgirl and her little brother, joining the campaign “Old devices for a new beginning” of Amalipe Center: