OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Bulgaria
Over the past three decades, Bulgaria has carried out important structural reforms which have helped the country reach higher levels of socio-economic development. However, long-standing social disparities and income inequalities remain and Bulgaria’s overall productivity gains have not fully translated into sustainable and inclusive growth. In this context, the country holds education as key to improve the nation’s future economic potential and increase the quality of life of its population. For example, the national development strategy, Bulgaria 2030, sets out an ambitious reform plan that identifies the importance of raising learning outcomes and addressing inequities in order to sustain socioeconomic growth. This review provides recommendations on how evaluation and assessment in Bulgaria’s education system can support the country in reaching its goals.
Using appraisal to motivate and support the professional growth of teachers
Bulgaria has introduced several reforms that aim to enhance the teaching profession. For example, Bulgaria introduced a differentiated career structure for teachers, increased salaries and made continuous professional learning a mandatory requirement. Bulgaria has also updated the core content for initial teacher education, eliminated tuition fees for many initial teacher education programmes and updated the country’s teacher standards. Despite this progress, there is a growing need for greater coherence across initiatives, especially as these reforms have important financial implications for the government. This chapter looks at how Bulgaria could link changes to structural teacher policies in order to help recruit the best and most motivated teacher candidates, as well as encourage practising teachers to develop their competencies.
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