Bulgaria: Education Minister Rules Out Metal Detectors in Schools

Bulgaria’s Minister of Education, Krasimir Valchev, stated at a briefing in Ruse that installing metal detectors in all schools is not planned. Commenting on recent violent incidents, he noted, “After the incident in the capital’s mall and school, I realized that a large percentage of students from these communities walk around with knives every day and teachers confiscate them from them every day. It is clearly a matter of culture, in this case ‘locali’ (locals) and there is a need for help.”

Valchev explained that while his visit coincided with a campaign promoting the euro, he took the opportunity to meet with educators and regional authorities. “We will support schools that request it, but this issue will not be resolved with metal detectors and technical measures alone,” he emphasized.

Education’s Role in Reducing Violence

The minister highlighted the long-term role of education in shaping behavior. “We cannot promise that there will be less aggression from tomorrow. It exists in every society, but if we strengthen the educational function, we may have fewer aggressive youth and fewer such cases,” he said. Valchev stressed the need to cultivate relationships and attitudes in children as a means to counteract aggression.

He acknowledged that Bulgaria’s education system has weakened in recent decades. “With the changes in curricula and guidelines, we are trying to tell teachers that it is important to educate. The teacher has a difficult task in unequal competition with powerful information environments. I was surprised to see a video game in which the goal is to kill the most people in the most cruel way. When we add the films and content that young people watch, this leads to the creation of attitudes towards violence,” he explained.

The minister also addressed classroom management, noting, “When a teacher cannot establish order in the classroom, the right to quality education of all other students suffers. That is why, with the law on preschool and school education, we have proposed additional measures regarding students.”

Prevention and Intervention

Valchev emphasized the importance of prevention over reactive measures. “We have many measures in the system, projects are being funded, there is a mechanism for responding to aggression and the relevant team is immediately activated. But all these actions are subsequent, the issue is prevention, and it is more about educating our children,” he said. He added that limiting children’s exposure to violent content and aggressive media is crucial, though challenging. “Forming attitudes does not guarantee that every child will counteract cases of violence. As parents, we must also limit them. I do not transfer responsibility, it is shared,” Valchev noted.

Drug Education in Schools

Addressing drug use among youth, the minister explained that the Ministry of Education has trained pedagogical specialists to discuss the topic with students from grades 3 to 12. “The education system cannot counteract their spread, but it can create attitudes in children not to use them,” he said, noting that generational differences often prevent parents from effectively discussing these issues.

The training initiative aims to reach around 55,000 teachers and specialists, who will then hold thematic classes with students and meetings with parents. “External people will also enter the educational institutions who can contribute,” Valchev added. He acknowledged that drug use and other addictions, including excessive screen time, are increasing concerns. “Screens are one of the most damaging addictions. On social networks, children see the most content, they waste their time. Screens have an addictive effect and damage the brain,” he explained.

Valchev also referenced ongoing campaigns such as “Just Say No,” in which prominent figures speak to students about drugs. However, he stressed, “The education system cannot cope through campaigns. It copes through the many hours of effort of teachers.”