Bulgaria
2016 Report on the State of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe
Questionnaire filled in by the Ministry of Education and Science
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q1 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To little extent
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To little extent
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a medium extent
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent
Q2 In your country, is priority given to…
a) … EDC/HRE at national government level
To a large extent
b) … EDC/HRE at local government level
To a fair extent
c) … EDC/HRE at educational institution level (school, college, university)
To a fair extent
d) … supporting training about EDC/HRE for teachers and school leaders
To a large extent
e) … making resources / materials about EDC/HRE available
To a little extent
f) … making financial support for EDC/HRE available
To a fair extent
g) … supporting co-operation with NGOs, including youth organisations, in the field of EDC/HRE?
To a little extent
Further comments
Q3 What is needed for citizenship and human rights education to receive a greater priority in your country?
a) Improved awareness of relevance of EDC/HRE for meeting the current challenges in our societies
To a little extent
b) Availability of data on effectiveness of EDC/HRE with respect to meeting the current challenges in our societies, including examples of good practice
To a fair extent
c) Advocacy by civil society organisations
To a little extent
d) Advocacy by prominent personalities
To a little extent
e) Increased visibility of EDC/HRE in the media coverage
To a little extent
f) Political will
To a fair extent
g) Political pressure from regional and international institutions
Not at all
h) More resources allotted to EDC/HRE
To a large extent
i) Other
Please specify “other”
Further comments
Q4 In your country, are there any inconsistencies between...
a)…statements of principle (on the value of EDC/HRE in education for all people) and existing education policies?
To a fair extent
b)…EDC/HRE policies and their implementation in practice?
To a fair extent
c)…EDC/HRE policies and other policy sectors?
To a little extent
Please describe the existing inconsistences:
The educational standard on civic education (EDC&HRE) is taught across many subject matters at school, however, there is no monitoring mechanism in place so that we could research and analyze to what extent this standard is being applied in class, in what way and in which curricula.
Further comments
Q5 In your country, have strategic approaches / measures been taken to counter these inconsistencies, since 2012?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
As of August 2016 the new Law on Pre-School and School Education enters into force and the new curricula will also be introduced gradually with the start of 2016/2017 school year. Under the Educational Law a new standard on civic, intercultural and environmental education will be enacted.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q6 Have concrete measures/activities been taken to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country since 2012, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Charter? (NB: this includes work done in the framework of the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education and other relevant international programmes and initiatives)
Yes
If yes, please specify:
The new curricula have been designed so as to target EDC/HRE to a greater extent.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q7 Are there any measures/activities planned to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country, in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Charter?
No
If yes, please specify:
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q8 Is the Charter…
a)…available in the language(s) of your country?
Yes
b)…available in the minority language(s) of your country?
c)…available on the website of the Ministry of Education or another relevant body?
Yes
d)… disseminated to the target audiences by other means?
No
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q9 The Council of Europe has produced a number of tools and resources to promote and support citizenship and human rights education within and across the States Party to the European Cultural Convention. These tools and resources are available at: www.coe.int/en/web/edc/resources and at: www.coe.int/compass (Please indicate the usefulness, in your country, of the following Council of Europe tools and resources.)
a) Charter on EDC/HRE
I do not know/Information not available
b) Strategic Support for Decision-makers: Policy Tool for EDC/HRE
I do not know/Information not available
c) Democratic Governance of Schools
I do not know/Information not available
d) How all Teachers Can Support EDC/HRE: A Framework for the Development of Competencies
I do not know/Information not available
d) Quality Assurance of EDC in Schools
I do not know/Information not available
e) School-Community-University Partnerships for Sustainable Democracy: EDC in Europe and the US
I do not know/Information not available
f) Living Democracy' Manuals for Teachers
I do not know/Information not available
g) A Compendium of Good Practice in HRE
I do not know/Information not available
h) Compass, manual for human rights education with young people
I do not know/Information not available
i) Compasito, manual for human rights education with children
I do not know/Information not available
j) Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
I do not know/Information not available
k) Curriculum development and review for democratic citizenship and human rights education
I do not know/Information not available
l) Multimedia Material (ex. video “Beat Bullying”, series of cartoons “Democracy and Human Rights at School”, video “Corporal punishment at school : how two parents decided to change things”)
I do not know/Information not available
m) “Freedom(s) - Learning activities for secondary schools on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights
I do not know/Information not available
Other (please specify: ______)
If these resources were useful, please specify:
If these resources were not useful, please specify:
Further comments
QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ARTICLES OF THE CHARTER
SECTION 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 3. Relationship between education for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Q10 Is there a shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education in your country?
Yes
In case if there is no shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education, please explain why not:
Please provide the name of the term in English and in original language as well as its definition and indicate the references and/or web link.
civic education - encompasses the HRE, citizenship education, intercultural education and environmental education гражданско образование
SECTION 2: OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
Article 5. Objectives and Principles
Q11 In your country, to what extent do education laws, policies, and strategic objectives explicitly refer to citizenship and human rights education
a) … in formal education at pre-primary, primary and secondary level?
Moderately
b) … in vocational education and training?
Moderately
c) … in higher education?
d) … in the training of education personnel?
e) … in youth policy and non-formal education?
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do refer explicitly to EDC/HRE, please specify:
New standard on civic, intercultural and environmental education has been developed and will soon be enacted by the new curricula. There is no information about the reference that the policies and objectives make to EDC/HRE in higher education as well as in the training of educational personnel (responsibility of HEIs).
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do not explicitly refer EDC/HRE, please explain why not:
SECTION 3: POLICIES
Article 6. Formal general and vocational education
Q12 In your country is education for democratic citizenship and human rights promoted as follows in schools and colleges:
a) specific subject matter – obligatory
b) specific subject matter – optional
c) cross-curricula approach
d) whole school approach
Please provide further details including web links where appropriate:
Further comments
Q13 If citizenship and human rights education is included in the curricula in your country, has it been subject to revision and updating since 2012 at...
a) … pre-primary education?
Yes
b) … primary school?
Yes
c) … lower secondary school (including vocational)?
Yes
d) … upper secondary school (including vocational)?
Yes
If no, please explain why not:
If yes, then what are/were the key challenges? How will they be / how were they overcome?
To what extent was the revision and updating process inclusive and participatory?
The new curricula and educational standards have been subject to public discussions, besides they have been developed by extensive consultations and participation of educational professional, academia and civil society organizations.
Further comments
Article 7. Higher education
Q14 To what extent is citizenship and human rights education provision promoted in higher education institutions in your country?
If not at all or scarcely, please explain why:
If extensively, please explain why and provide examples:
Further comments
HEIs in Bulgaria are autonomous and they are free to decide and change decisions on their own at any time.
Article 8. Democratic governance
Q15 In your country, are there any education laws, policies and strategies that promote democratic governance in educational institutions, particularly schools, concerning…
a) … decision making procedures (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
b) … school culture / rules?
Yes
c) … pupil / student participation (e.g. school / student councils)?
Yes
d) … parental / family involvement in schools (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
e) …school / community links (in and out of school)?
No
If yes, please specify:
there are school boards in place; the participation of parents and students in decision-making is largely encouraged and ensured.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Article 9. Training
Q16 In your country, is there a provision for citizenship and human rights education in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and other types of training for…
a) … teachers?
Yes
b) … school leaders?
To some extent
c) … other education staff?
To some extent
d) … youth leaders (in and out of school)?
Yes
e) … teacher trainers / trainers of trainers?
To some extent
f) … parents?
To some extent
If yes, please specify:
If no, please explain why not:
If to some extent, please specify:
Further comments
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 10. Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
Q17 To what extent, in your country, is there co-operation and support between the government and the following organisations and groups that foster citizenship and human rights education?
a) Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
To a fair extent
b) Youth organisations
To a fair extent
c) Community groups
d) Parents' groups
To a little extent
e) Other (please specify: ______)
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
Cooperation with parents' groups is supported and sought mostly if they are part of NGO.
If to a large extent, please explain the factors for success:
Provide examples of good practice:
Further comments
Article 11. Criteria for evaluation
Q18 In your country, have criteria been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of citizenship and human rights education programmes?
No
Further information:
Please provide examples of how these criteria have been developed, reviewed and used:
To what extent have they been useful?
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 12. Research
Q19 In your country, to what extent has research been initiated and promoted on citizenship and human rights education to take stock of the current situation?
To a little extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
There has been no explicit need for commissioning such a research
What needs to be done to obtain stronger support for such research?
Further comments
Article 13. Skills for promoting social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
Q20 In your country, to what extent are educational approaches and teaching methods promoted that enable pupils/students to acquire competences to…
a) … promote social cohesion?
To a moderate extent
b) … value diversity and equality (particularly between different faiths and ethnic groups)?
To a moderate extent
c) … settle disagreements and conflicts in a non-violent manner?
To a little extent
d) … combat all forms of discrimination and violence (especially bullying)?
To a little extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to encourage more active promotion of such educational approaches and teaching methods?
Further comments
SECTION 4: EVALUATION AND COOPERATION
Article 14. Evaluation and review
Q21 Has any action been taken or foreseen to evaluate strategies and policies undertaken in accordance with the aims and principles of the Charter?
No
If not, please explain why not:
The implementation of the CoE EDC/HRE Charter has been supported by any means, incl. by funding initiatives for discussions and information dissemination. The policies are designed so as to respect its principles and therefore it serves as a guidance.
If yes, please provide links to the relevant monitoring and evaluation reports:
What were the key conclusions?
Who takes part in the evaluation process?
Example of good practice:
Further comments:
Article 15. Co-operation in follow-up activities
Q22 In your country, have any co-operation activities with other countries been organised or planned in pursuing the aims and principles of the Charter?
No
If not, please explain why not:
Example of good practice:
What is required to encourage such cooperation activities?
Further comments
Article 16. International and European co-operation
Q23 In your country, is there co-operation and collaboration on citizenship and human rights education with the following organisations / institutions?
a) Council of Europe (CoE)
Yes
b) United Nations system (UN) (including UNESCO and UN OHCHR)
Yes
c) Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
No
d) European Union (EU) (including European Commission)
Yes
e) Other international/ European organisations
Please specify 'Other international/ European organisations'
What are your expectations from such cooperation?
To explore and exchange good practices; to test and pilot new methods ; to enhance the competences related to EDC/HRE.
To what extent are these expectations met?
How could such cooperation be made more useful?
Further comments
Q24 In what ways is / can the Charter review process be of support to the countries? [Please rank from 1 (not useful)- 5 (very useful)]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
3
b) An opportunity to promote good practice
4
c) A support tool for dialogue with other countries and within the country
1
d) Access to expertise from other countries and from international institutions
2
e) Other
Please specify other
Q25 What are your expectations from the Council of Europe? [Please indicate the current level of satisfaction from 1 (not useful) - 5 (very useful) for each expectation]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
2
b) Opportunities for sharing and cooperation with other countries
3
c) Provision of a shared framework of reference / common standards
3
d) Impetus for dialogue and cooperation within the country
2
e) Authoritative encouragement to ensure respect of commitments
1
f) Technical advice / technical assistance
4
g) Access to the network of key actors in the member states through the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of local and regional authorities and the INGO Conference and the HR Commissioner as well as various monitoring bodies (such as ECRI) as a means of raising visibility of EDC/HRE
1
h) Other
Please specify other
Q26 What are the key challenges to the promotion and development of citizenship and human rights education in your country? (Please indicate the level of impact of each challenge)
a) Lack of priority among decision makers (other areas given more priority)
Medium impact
b) Lack of awareness/interest/support among education professionals
Medium impact
c) Impact of the economic crisis/recession
Low impact
d) Reduction/cuts in funding
Medium impact
e) Decentralised education system
Low impact
f) Changing political context (e.g. change of government)
Medium impact
g) Reduction of support networks (NGOs, parent and youth groups etc.)
Low impact
h) Lack of public interest and support
Medium impact
i) Lack of media interest and support
Low impact
j) Lack of support from European organisations (Council of Europe, EU etc.)
Low impact
k)Other
Please specify other
Further comments (half a page maximum):
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE
There are plans to repeat this questionnaire in 5 years’ time to get a further sense of the progress of the States Party to the European Cultural Convention in pursuing the aims and principles for citizenship and human rights education promoted by the present Charter. It is also proposed to design the questionnaire focusing on particular areas.
Q27 What particular areas should the follow-up Questionnaire focus on for the next review cycle? (Please indicate the level of priority for each area)
a) Formal general (pre-primary, primary and secondary school) and vocational education
High
b) Higher education
High
c) Pre-school education
High
d) Democratic governance of educational institutions
High
e) Training (initial and on-going)
Medium
f) Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
Low
g) Criteria for evaluation
High
h) Research
Medium
i) Social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
Medium
j) Evaluation and review
Low
k) International and European co-operation
Low
l) Other
Please specify other
Q28 How can this questionnaire be improved in order to ensure that the data collection is meaningful and useful in terms of encouraging further progress in citizenship and human rights education?
Q29 To what extent the process of preparation of the reply to this questionnaire was constructive and participatory? [Please rank from 1 (poor)- 5 (excellent)]
4
Further comments:
Most of the approached NGOs did not respond to the invitation extended to them on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Education and Science and will take the survey of the CoE separately and not via the Ministry of Education and Science.
FOCUS GROUP 2016: PARLIAMENTARIANS
NB: The questions below are to be addressed to the Education Commission in the National Parliament or other similar bodies
Please indicate which body has been contacted
Q30 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
Further comments:
Q31 What legislation has been adopted in the last 5 years or is in preparation, with a view to support and promote citizenship and human rights education?
Q32 What are the thematic areas of education of particular concern to your Committee in this respect?
Q33 Do you have any further comments to make not provided elsewhere? If so, please use the space below.
Q34 Further comments on citizenship and human rights education in the country:
Other contributors contacted by the respondent, including representatives of:
1. Ministries:
Mr. Kosta Kostov - Chief Expert at Educational Programmes and Content Directorate
2. Research institutions:
None
3. Education professionals:
4. Civil society organisations:
a. Teachers organisations:
Mrs. Lilyana Minkova - Executive Director of the National Association of Resource Teachers
b Youth organisations
c Children organisations
d Parents organisations
5. National human rights institutions
6. Parliaments
7. Local and regional authorities
8. International institutions
9. Medias
10. Others
Prof. Rumen Valtchev - UNESCO Chair of Human Rights and Peace of Culture
