Bulgarian Education Minister Fears Students May Be Lured to Protest

Sergey Ignatov is concerned that students may be manipulated and start protesting. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's university students may be manipulated into protesting, the country's Education Minister Sergey Ignatov believes.

Commenting on the students' intention to protest against the upping of student fees planned in the 2012 state budget, Ignatov pointed out that he has held talks with university rectors and they do not consider increasing the fees to the levels they are now allowed to.

The rectors are free to decide whether to support the best performers or the poorer students, he explained.

The Minister denied the statement made by students that the state budget money for university student scholarships has been decreased, noting it has actually been increased by BGN 6 M to reach BGN 31 M (nearly EUR 16 M). He also refuted the statement that the universities will be financed less next year, and revealed they will receive over BGN 11 M more

Ignatov reiterated that a further BGN 15 M will be spent on the differentiated financing of the universities.

He declared that in case students start protesting, his plan is to keep implementing the state budget.

On Thursday, Bulgaria's current and former college students are celebrating December 8, their biggest annual event and party, a tradition kept alive since 1903.

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