The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) expresses its categorical support for the reforms proposed by the Ministry of Education and Science in the curricula at the high school level, aimed at ensuring more hours of study in the main general education subjects.
For years, BICA has emphasized the need to update and refine the curricula, improve the quality of education, modernize and adapt the education system to the contemporary needs of the economy. BICA has repeatedly pointed out the need for a closer connection between the education system and the labor market. Our support for reforms is also evident in the priorities we have approved, aimed at orienting education to the real needs of business, which implies refining the curricula, improving the mechanisms for financing and stimulating training in shortage specialties, including the introduction of a mandatory matriculation exam in mathematics.
We fully support and accept as a particularly important step the increase in the number of hours in Bulgarian language and literature, mathematics, chemistry and environmental protection, biology and health education, physics and astronomy, geography and economics, history and civilizations, as well as civic education. The development of the economy currently requires children to possess a wide range of complex skills, based on more competencies and responding to modern realities. The increased number of hours in the secondary school stage in mathematics, Bulgarian language and literature, natural and social sciences will increase the quality of education, stimulate students to invest more effort and ensure that they will have the necessary competencies for professional realization.
The increase in the number of elective classes in the second secondary school stage, outside of the classes for profiled and professional training, provides an additional opportunity for schools to choose which subjects to focus these classes on, taking into account the scope of knowledge and skills, motivation and interests of students. The transfer of part of the content of vocational training from the second stage of secondary education to classes of the first stage of secondary education allows for earlier acquisition of professional knowledge and skills, more opportunities for further development and upgrading, increased opportunities for a quick and smooth transition to the labor market.
In this context, we support the reforms you proposed, which focus on strategically important areas such as mathematics, Bulgarian language and literature, natural and social sciences, as well as the expansion of opportunities for practically oriented education.
We express our readiness to cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Science in the process of implementing these reforms, with the aim of building a sustainable and competitive economy based on knowledge and innovation.
