Bulgaria : Bulgarian parliament adopted amendments to the Vocational Education and Training Act on first reading.
The texts were passed with 89 votes “for” and 17 votes “against”, while 15 MPs abstained. The draft bill aims at synchronizing the vocational education and training with the overall system of the pre-school and school education, to introduce new additional opportunities for acquiring professional qualification, in connection with the new structure of the secondary degree of education – first and second high school stage. The new texts also aim at settling the status and activity of the professional colleges, which are no longer part of the school system.
The changes are also expected to expand the opportunities for vocational education of the school children with special education needs and of the school children at the schools in the penitentiary system. The draft bill also envisages change in the balance between theoretical and practical education to the benefit of the practical one. The texts also extend the authorities of the minister of education and science in terms of the maintenance of a public register of the professional colleges and exerting control on their activities. The application of the new act will not require additional funding for this year.
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