Mix-Up Emerges in Teaching Minority Languages in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's Caretaker Education Minister, Prof Nikolay Miloshev, denies being involved in making minority languages mandatory electives in schools. Photo by BGNES

The Turkish, the Armenian, and the Hebrew languages have been included as compulsory electives for children from these minorities in Bulgaria, in grades 1 – 8.

The information was reported by the Cross news agency, citing the official page of the Education Ministry.

A check, however, has shown that school principals, teachers and parents are largely unaware of these changes.

Caretaker Education Minister, Prof Nikolay Miloshev, is quoted in saying the idea was launched by the new Cabinet of former Prime Minister, Plamen Oresharski, which was sworn-in last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the new Education Minister, Aneliya Klisarova, has voiced opposition to mandatory teaching of any mother tongue other than Bulgarian.

The Education Ministry and the Regional Education Inspectorate in the capital Sofia are yet to confirm the new directive.

Compulsory electives, albeit an oxymoron, is the term used in Bulgarian media and by education officials.

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