Interview with Stoyan Kulev

Are you interested in getting involved in an eTwinning project with a school in Bulgaria? To learn about how eTwinning is working in Bulgaria, we recently talked to Stoyan Kulev, the Coordinator for eTwinning in Bulgaria.

How does education in Bulgaria differ from other countries in Europe?

The system of secondary education in Bulgaria includes kindergartens, schools and auxiliary units which can be state, municipal and private depending on the way in which they are managed and financed. According to the type of training and the level of education, schools in Bulgaria are divided into: primary schools, basic schools, secondary general schools, specialised secondary schools, vocational secondary schools, sport schools, art schools, and schools for children with special educational needs.

How is ICT being implemented in Bulgaria?

One of the big challenges of modern times is the rapid introduction of ICT in all spheres of social life. In every Bulgarian school, the Ministry of Education and Science has provided fully-equipped computer laboratories with broadband Internet. In addition, a national educational portal has been developed, which is available to everyone. In it, users can access electronic textbooks, tests, school documentation as well as lots of other useful information about students, teachers and parents.

Now in its fourth year, how has eTwinning impacted Bulgaria so far?

Bulgaria joined eTwinning a year after its launch, and so is now in its third year. In 2006, together with the launching of the Action Line, 200 schools and kindergartens registered to the Portal. Now, there are over the registrations are over 800 schools registered and more than 200 projects running. This shows a great interest on behalf of Bulgarian teachers in participating in this initiative. Many of the projects grow into projects which fit very well into the Lifelong Learning Programme. More and more, teachers tell us that their teaching is getting more interesting and thus the curriculum content is easier to transmit to students.

What kind of projects are Bulgarian schools most often interested in?

A great deal of the projects are linked to the exchange of information on cultural topics, such as living traditions, games and festivities. Many teachers are also interested in foreign-language projects because the command of foreign languages is a priority in Bulgarian education. Other projects focus on partners’ lifestyles or are in the sphere of vocational education, such as physics, mathematics, ecology and economics.

Are there special eTwinning activities going on in Bulgaria?

As part of the Human Resource Development Centre, the eTwinning National Support Service participates in all informational events about opportunities offered by European educational programmes and eTwinning in particular. Furthermore, the National Support Service organises a number of seminars, along with online training, to get teachers better acquainted with this European Commission initiative.

This year we have launched a campaign to inform Regional Education Inspectorates at the Ministry of Education and Science about the benefits of eTwinning projects in schools and kindergartens. The campaign was launched at an informational seminar at the Regional Education Inspectorate in Sofia, and we hope to continue with the rest of the Inspectorates in the country.

Do you have any advice for teachers who wish to twin up with schools in Bulgaria?

Zaregistrovaním sa na európskom portáli www.etwinning.net získajú učitelia prístup k rôznym nástrojom. Some of them (e.g., TwinFinder, Mail, Chat, Audio and Video conversation) can be used for finding a suitable partner and can eventually lead to conceiving an idea for collaboration in a future projects. So, every teacher has an opportunity to implement his or her idea for a project related to the educational process.

It is important to pay attention to the distribution of tasks between partners, to plan the activities along the project and to considering this output in terms of quality and time. Also, it is essential for the implementation of quality projects to maintain constant contact with partners.

Are you interested in getting involved in an eTwinning project with a school in Bulgaria?

Learn more about Bulgaria by having a look at the information on its eTwinning projects and website.