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1. BULGARIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Structure
The education in Bulgaria is mandatory until the age of 16. Schools operate on a five-day
week schedule. The School year consists of two terms, starts on the 15th September and ends
in May or June. The Educational System has the following levels: Pre-school education,
Primary Education, Secondary Education and Higher Education.
Pre-school education (ISCED’97, level 0) includes children between 3 to 6/7 ages. Attending
kindergarten is optional.
Primary Education (from 1st to 8th grade ISCED’97 level 1, 2 and 2A) includes primary schools
(1st to 4th grade) and Secondary schools (5th to 8th grade). Primary education can be received
in state, municipal or private schools. In addition, on this educational level professional
education is available according the professional-technical program after completing 6th, 7th
or 8th grade. Students that successfully passed 4th grade receive a Certificate of Primary
Education. The Certificate of completed Primary Education is also given when 8th grade is
successfully passed.
Pre-school Education
Pre-school education (ISCED’97, level 0) includes children between 3 to 6/7 ages. Attending
kindergarten is optional. However, prior to starting school, children must attend a one-year
pre-school program. Except for public kindergartens (that are 95% of all kindergartens) there
are private kindergartens and their number is growing every day.
Primary and Secondary Education
Primary school (1st to 8th grade) consists of all primary schools (1st to 4th grade ISCED’94, level
1) and all secondary schools (5th to 8th grade, ISCED’97, level 2A). Primary education can be
received in state, municipal or private schools. In addition, on this educational level
professional education is available according the professional-technical program after
completing 6th, 7th or 8th grade. Students that successfully passed 4th grade receive a
Certificate of Primary Education. The Certificate of completed Primary Education is also given
when 8th grade is successfully passed.
Secondary education (ISCED’97, level 3A) can be divided to Secondary education (secondary
and specialized schools) and Professional education. Secondary education can be received in
all secondary schools (duration of the course is 4 to 5 years). Admission in specialized schools
is carried out after the completion of the 7th or 8th grade and after completing exams

2. according the schools profile (Bulgarian language exams, literature exams, math exams and
other).
Secondary education can also be received in technical schools after completing the 8th grade
and a 4-year education or after completing the 7th grade and accordingly 5-year education.
Secondary education is also provided in professional schools with a 3-year program of
education.
Educational programs for education in technical professional schools (ISCED’97, level 3C) are
being offered after completing Primary education, the duration of the education course is 2
years. The obtained professional qualification facilitates students in their access to the
professional market.
General Secondary education
General secondary education (secondary level) can be divided to Secondary and Secondary
specialized education. Secondary education can be obtained in all Secondary schools (for 3
to 4 years) and Secondary specialized education can be obtained in all Secondary specialized
schools (for 4 to 5 years). Admission in specialized schools is carried out after the completion
of the 7th and 8th grade and after the successful completion of exams according to the schools
profile (Bulgarian language exams, literature exams, math exams and other).
General Secondary education is offered from:
 Secondary schools. They include: primary school level – from 1st to 4th grade; pre-
secondary level – from 5th to 8th grade and secondary level – from 9th to 11th grade.
 Specialized schools with enhanced language education (language schools) -
admission is carried out after the 7th grade and after completing admission exams.
Specialized schools cover education from 8th to 12th/13th grade.
 Specialized Secondary schools – admission is carried out after the 8th grade (these
schools include enhanced science and/or math and other education). Specialized
schools cover the education from 9th to 12th/13th grade.
Education for children with special needs
There is a network of govern boarding schools that support and offer schools for crippled
children. Priorities in this area as a legal framework for financing, development and
alternative forms of education, a system for school preparation for integration and
socialization of children with special needs, programs for integration education forms,
individual preparation and other are still missing.

3. Matriculation
Students in General Secondary schools must complete matriculation on the following
subjects:
 Bulgarian language and Literature
 Any General Secondary subject chosen by the student (except Bulgarian language and
literature); the following subject must have been a part of the full-time program of
education.
Students in specialized/specialized secondary schools must complete matriculation on the
following subjects:
 Bulgarian language and Literature – the main language in the specialized school; if
it’s Bulgarian language and literature, matriculation is completed on the second most
important subject in the school
Students do not have to do matriculation if they have a GPA of at least “Very Good” (5) on
certain subject from the educational program for this educational level and if they have an
annual success on the same subject of at least “Very Good” (5).
Schools in the Secondary educational system in Bulgaria
Secondary education in Bulgaria can be divided into general secondary education and
professional education. General Secondary Education itself can be divided into secondary and
specialized education. There are general secondary education schools with duration of the
education of 3 to 4 years and secondary specialized schools with a period of education of 4 to
5 years. Admission in specialized schools is carried out after the completion of the 7th or 8th
grade and the successful completion of admission exams according to the schools profile.
General Secondary education is offered from:
 General secondary schools. They include primary school level – from 1st to 4th grade;
pre-secondary level – from 5th to 8th grade and secondary level – from 9th to 11th
grade.
 Specialized schools with enhanced language education (language schools) - admission
is carried out after the 7th grade and after completing admission exams. Specialized
schools cover education from 8th to 12th/13th grade.
 Specialized Secondary schools – admission is carried out after the 8th grade (these
schools include enhanced science and/or math and other education). Specialized
schools cover the education from 9th to 12th/13th grade.
Secondary professional education is obtained in professional-technical and technical
schools. Professional-technical schools offer 3-year education, after the completion of the 8th

4. BULGARIAN
Educational system according to
ISCED-97
ISCED 0
Kindergarten
PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION
Дет ска градина
grade and 5-year education after the completion of the 7th grade. Both forms complete their
education with the receiving of a diploma for specialized secondary education.
These schools also provide other forms of education like for example, evening courses,
external or practical education so that the students on a 16-year-old age and after that can
obtain a professional qualification. Attending the evening courses is mandatory, while the
organization of other forms of education is mandatory to the student.
Higher education schools in Bulgaria
At the moment the higher education system consists of universities, specialized higher
education schools (academies and institutes) and colleges.
Universities provide education on a wide variety of majors/ specialties, the least in three out
of four main educational areas (medical disciplines, science, social and technological science).
(ISCED’97, levels 5A and 6).
Colleges provide rather shorter and professional-orientated education (ISCED’97, level 5B).
These are the ex-semi-higher institutes that experienced certain transformations. Actually
most of the colleges are a part of the universities and are using its facility and equipment.
There are some independent colleges that are capable to cover the academic and material
conditions and regulations on themselves.
A qualification that gets obtained in higher military schools responds to all requirements of
the citizen higher education schools. And along with the military title and specialty, the
qualification also includes a title, responding to a citizen specialty.
Our dynamic modernity puts Bulgarian education in front of challenges that cannot be
successfully met without quality Citizen Education. This education is the part of the
educational process which the citizen mission of education is targeted on building the social
culture of the students: it gives them knowledge of the values, institutions, mechanisms and
procedures of the democratic society and builds skills for their application.

5. ISCED 1
BASIC EDUCATION FIRST
STAGE
Primary school
ISCED 6
DOCTORATE DEGREE
24-26 years of age
ISCED 5A
TERTIARY EDUCATION
University
Qualification degree ‘bachelor’
19-22yearsofage;Duration4years
Qualification degree ‘master’
19-23 or 19-24 years of age
Qualification degree ‘master’
23-23 (24) years of age
ISCED 5B
TERTIARY EDUCATION
College
ISCED 4C
POST SECONDARY NOT
TERTIARY
Vocational training – IV level(After
completion of secondary education)19-20
years of age;
Vocational training for adults—III
and IV level (after completion of
Secondary education)19 and over years of
age
ISCED 3A
UPPER SECONDARY
Средно образование
General Education 15-18yearsof age;
GeneralEducation(profile
oriented) 14-18 years of age;
Vocational Education - II level
15-18 years of age; Duration 4 years
Vocational Education - III level
15-19 or 14-19 years of age
ISCED 3B
Vocational Secondary
education
ISCED 3C
Vocational Training – I Level
(After completion of basic education)
15-16 years of age;
Vocational training for adults--
II level (after completion of 10 Grade)
16 and over years of age
ISCED 2C
Vocational training for
adults- I level (after
completion of 6 Grade)
16 and over years of age
ISCED 2A
BASIC EDUCATION SECOND
STAGE
Основно образование
General: Grades 5-8
11-14 years of age;
Vocational (after completion of
Grades 6 or 7); 13 (14)-15 years of age