Exams after 7th grade also include natural sciences, considering the ministry

And in his previous term as enlightened Minister Krasimir Valchev suggested that the exams after 7th grade include questions in natural and social sciences.

The minister added that the way the students were tested and evaluated formed their learning culture. According to him, the main problem is the dominant culture of learning, which must be changed in the direction of more in-depth learning and application of knowledge. « The fact is that our students do relatively well when we experience them for learned knowledge, but much worse when we experience them with practical tasks. »

Valchev indicated for changes in the form of national external assessments that the introduction of an integrated exam was « the most discussion question ». He gave an example of the low results of Bulgarian students from the international PISA survey, which, in his opinion, are due to the poor achievements of students in mathematics and natural sciences.

He stressed that in the seventh grade students focus on Bulgarian language lessons, and the natural sciences remain in the background. He added that in the eighth grade, many students who have chosen a curriculum with intensive foreign language study have no natural sciences in their program, and this explains the low results of the PISA study, which are conducted among 15-year-old youth in grade 9.

On the clarifying question of which years the integral examination Valchev will include national external assessments after the seventh and tenth grades. However, he stressed that, together with the new educational structure, the ministry will propose for discussing the elimination of exams for fourth -graders and tenth graders. « If we do not have two high school stages, as is currently (the first stage from the 8th to the 10th grade and the second stage, including the 11th and 12th grades-note), we will not have an exam after 10th grade, » he said.

Compensations for the garden -nots in the garden

Asked about the delayed compensation for children who have not been accepted into a garden or nursery, the minister explained that the procedure goes through three institutions and four stages. Initially, municipalities summarize the necessary information and send it to the respective ministries – the Ministry of Kindergarten Education and the Ministry of Health for the cribs.

The Ministry of Education then prepares a draft decree, which is sent to the Finance Ministry for coordination. After approval, the document is submitted to the Council of Ministers, and after its adoption, the Ministry of Finance translates transfers to the municipalities.

According to him, the process usually leads to a delay of about two and a half months and added that in February and March the compensation has been paid since the last months of last year.