BEAIT with a large-scale survey and new guidelines for education reforms

Bulgarian Employers' Association for Innovative Technologies (BEAIT) presented a large-scale study prepared by the Institute for Market Economy (IMI), which offers specific and innovative guidelines for reforms in the education system in Bulgaria. The research, announced at a special discussion today by Petar Ganev of IPI, is part of BEAIT's efforts to support education in its adaptation to dynamic economic changes and new labor market demands.

The event was attended by representatives of the leading technological organizations in our country, as well as the Deputy Ministers of Education and Science Natalia Miteva and Tanya Metodieva-Mihailova.

"We underestimate the essence of the problem with education. We only look at the result, not looking for where the problem is. We need young and dedicated people to enter the classrooms. Scores have been falling over the years, but consistently low, unlike other countries that had high scores but then dropped. Our task is to move forward. Two things are important for success - student motivation and debunking the claim that knowledge is a constant. In school, in addition to imparting knowledge, we must teach children to manage their knowledge", noted Deputy Minister Metodieva-Mihailova.

"Business is our main partner not only as an employer, but also as a source of ideas. The problems are many and have accumulated over generations. This year, for the first time, we were recognized as a developed country and are no longer subject to international aid. We have the opportunity to expand through the national budget, but we need to strengthen our institutional capacity and use the funds effectively. Unfortunately, we do not have a strong enough capacity for digital transformation. In Central and Eastern Europe, countries have entire directorates for digital content and digital transformation, while here this process is slow and difficult. Therefore, business is a key partner in managing the necessary changes," said Deputy Minister Natalia Miteva.

The study mainly reveals what are the missed benefits in the education system due to the lack of important reforms, as well as some weaknesses of the system. Among them stand out the low results of students and the insufficient development of key skills, especially in the field of digitalization. 54% of students are functionally illiterate in mathematics, and only 1/3 of the population covers the basic level of digital skills, according to the IPI analysis. In vocational education, nearly 45% of those graduating from secondary education acquire a qualification, but in 15 of the 20 most sought-after professions, the system prepares less than 0.3% of personnel. Higher education brings significant benefits – 90% employment and an average salary of BGN 25,000 per year, but only 18% of graduating bachelors are in IT majors. According to the IPI analysis, this leads to a serious discrepancy between economic realities, the needs of employers and the supply of qualified personnel on the labor market. The lack of effective educational policies leads to economic losses and lost benefits for the country, which makes reforms in the sector a priority, BEAIT members are categorical.

The findings of the study suggest that efforts should be made to change curricula to better meet the needs of today's labor market and to develop key skills in students, especially in the digital sphere. In addition, the need to better plan admissions to vocational schools and provide more opportunities for dual studies is highlighted. This will ensure that the graduating young people will be better prepared for the labor market.

Dobroslav Dimitrov, Chairman of the Board of BEAIT, shared: "We live in very dynamic times, in which technology is emerging as the new form of literacy. Artificial intelligence provides unlimited opportunities for self-learning, which poses a number of challenges for schools and the teaching profession. With the availability of easy access to multiple sources of information, automatic memorization and reproduction of facts is no longer a value. The teacher must move into his natural role of mentor, not relayer of information. And we all have to get used to the fact that learning is really lifelong, because it will not be an exception to change several professions within one lifetime".

According to Iliya Krastev, Chairman of the Board of AIBEST and member of the Board of BEAIT, education is a major factor for future economic growth: "Bulgarian education needs to be urgently modernized, but it is a long and complex process that requires immediate first steps. Decisive action is needed today to remain competitive in a fast-paced world. We need to convince society that transformation is not only necessary but also possible in order to make progress. Business must play a key role in this process, not only as an active partner in educational reforms, but also as a regulatory mechanism vis-à-vis the rulers for the direction of changes in order to deal with the risks that Bulgaria is facing as an economy and society".

Dobromir Ivanov, executive director of BESCO, added: "Today, more than ever, we need unifying themes and a long-term vision for the development of Bulgaria. Education is just such a topic. It is not possible to talk about our country in the coming decades without talking about the need for the education system to be focused on the formation of skills in our children that will have to adapt in an unprecedentedly fast changing world. Bulgaria having the best education in the world in 20 years is a vision that a large part of our society can support. But today, political will is needed to be able to take the first steps - new Curricula, a working Quality Standard, Language Integration, New Forms of Assessment and many other improvements that business stands behind."

For her part, Teodora Todorova from the Board of Directors of BEAIT, Department "Education" stated: "All branch organizations have united around a change in the criteria for admission to mathematical and professional ICT high schools, because the level of the higher education institutions in mathematics in practice does not measure strong mathematical talent and increased interest in this area. It is important for us that these high schools educate the most motivated and capable young people, for whom the high-tech sector is fighting and wants to develop. There should be an incentive for these children to go to mathematical competitions and their results should be included in the final assessment for the mathematical and professional ICT high schools."

The IPI study will be the basis for subsequent discussions with the government and stakeholders, with the aim of drawing up specific policies to improve education and better prepare young people for the future.