Opinion regarding: Draft Ordinance on Quality Management in Institutions within the Pre-school and School Education System

To THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

To the attention of: Mr. Krasimir Valchev, Minister of Education and Science

POSITION

REGARDING: Draft Ordinance on Quality Management in Institutions of the Pre-School and School Education System

Dear Mr. Valchev,

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the undersigned organisations, representing businesses from dozens of industries and sectors, we express our support for the Ordinance on Quality Management in Institutions of the Pre-School and School Education System published for public consultation.

We highly value the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Science to elevate the topic of quality in education as a national priority and to propose a clear, systemic and sustainable mechanism for its management. The Ordinance is an important step that not only lays the foundation for transparency and development, but also responds to one of the key demands of business set out in a joint position of 25 organisations. In it we clearly stated that the sustainable development of a high added value economy is inconceivable without a targeted policy for improving the quality of education and the adoption of a comprehensive legislative framework in this direction. The present Ordinance makes precisely this connection — between education as a public mission and as a foundation for a modern, competitive and innovative economy.

We would like to put forward several constructive additions that could facilitate the practical implementation of the Ordinance and strengthen its effect:

1. Role and responsibilities of the Regional Education Authorities (REA): A clear supporting function of the REA should be regulated, which will guarantee that schools and kindergartens will have a reliable partner and consultant in their work towards higher quality education. This will create an environment for cooperation and sustainable improvement.

2. National MES support platform: An online platform should be created with sample instruments — questionnaires for surveys, guidelines for focus groups, models of quality development plans, as well as good practices from the country and abroad. Such a platform will save time for schools and kindergartens and will ensure facilitated and equal access to key resources.

3. Training and a handbook for the application of the Ordinance: A comprehensive training process for the responsible teams in schools and kindergartens should be envisaged and a practical handbook should be prepared for the quality commissions, which will ensure a clear understanding and higher effectiveness in the application of the mechanism. This will reduce the risk of formal compliance and will transform the Ordinance into an instrument for real change.

We are convinced that with these additions the Ordinance will become a powerful instrument for raising the quality of education, which is a key factor for the competitiveness of Bulgaria and for the creation of an economy based on knowledge and innovation.

We remain at your disposal for expert dialogue and support in the implementation of these policies.

Yours sincerely,

Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association — BESCO

Bulgarian Cluster for Digital Solutions and Innovations in Healthcare — DHI Cluster

Professional Association for Robotics and Automation — PARAi

Bulgarian Association of PR Agencies (BAPRA)

Foundation "Cluster of Information and Communication Technologies" (ICT Cluster)

Bulgarian Association for People Management (BAPM)

Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies (BAIT)

Endeavor Bulgaria