This report is the result of an assessment of Bulgaria’s policies and practices in the field of education and skills, informed by international experience and policies and practices from OECD countries. The review draws on various sources, including a background report prepared by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science and an OECD visit in January-February 2024 to scope the main policy issues and interview relevant stakeholders.
The OECD review team is deeply grateful to the Bulgarian government which, under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science, has generously supported this review. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the current Minister of Education and Science, Krasimir Valchev, who accompanied us through the final stages of this report’s preparation and publication, and to former Minister of Education and Science, Galin Tsokov, who led Bulgaria’s engagement throughout the review process. Bulgaria’s participation in the report was expertly co-ordinated by Natalia Miteva, advisor to the Minister of Education and Science and Veselina Ganeva, Director of the International Cooperation Directorate. Staff across the Ministry and its teams engaged thoughtfully with every request from the Secretariat, sharing valuable perspectives and deep expertise throughout. We also wish to thank colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – particularly the Director of Foreign Economic Relations Directorate Ivanka Tasheva, Ambassador to the French Republic Radka Balabanova-Ruleva, and OECD Accession Coordinator Elisaveta Simeonova – for their dedicated support over the course of the review.
The OECD team is especially appreciative of the many individuals who participated in the review visit. A wide range of actors at all levels of government and across all education levels provided a wealth of insights. We are very grateful to the many Bulgarian stakeholders, including the officials from the various ministries, local education authorities, educational institutions and social partners. The warm hospitality extended to the OECD team during our stay in Bulgaria made the review process not only productive, but also a truly rewarding and memorable experience.
The OECD review team was led by Elizabeth Fordham (OECD Secretariat), co-ordinated by Lynn Abi Raad and Caitlyn Guthrie (OECD Secretariat), and composed by Zhasmin Avetisyan (OECD Secretariat) Yasemin Buharali (OECD Secretariat), Ricardo Espinoza (OECD Secretariat), Elizabeth Shuey (OECD Secretariat), and Thomas Weko (External Expert). The review team acknowledges invaluable guidance from Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills; El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Skills Centre; and Paulo Santiago, Head of the Policy Advice and Implementation Division. Andrew Bell, Stéphanie Jamet, Simon Roy, Hannah Kitchen, and Samo Varsik provided in-depth feedback and advice at critical stages of the drafting process of the report. In addition, we would like to extend our thanks to the many OECD colleagues in the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs; the Economics Department, the Governance Directorate, and the Legal Directorate. Eda Cabbar and Daiana Torres Lima contributed to the final steps of preparation for the publication.