Useful practices in educational systems – management, organization, standards.

1. Useful practices in educational systems – management, organization, standards. FLS “Romain Rolland”, Stara Zagora

2. Useful practices in school’s management

3. Body of Bulgarian Educational System • The body of Bulgarian educational system is constructed by a number of institutions Produces and conducts state educational politics; Creates comfortable conditions for educational system’s regular functioning; controls, coordinates Organizational and controlling function in districts Organization, control and responsibility for the overall activity of schools

4. Organization and management of Bulgarian schools

5. Structure and functions of Pedagogical Council Analyses, approves and decides on: • School’s strategy • School’s educational plan • Academic results – analysis and forecast • Decisions concerning students • School’s symbols and rituals Support school’s activity.

6. Structure and functions of Student Council • Represents students’ opinion => • Has the role of a mediator between students and the body of school management. • Organizes events from school life and history.

7. Ministry of education decides on the educational politics There exist regional controlling institutions for examining the quality of education Tend to involve parents in the educational process In Bulgaria there is lack of coordination and mutual relation between the ministry and schools Institutions do not support teachers but only control them formally Parents are involved only formally => their opinion is hardly taken into consideration when deciding on the organization of educational process In all educational systems… However

8. Useful practices in the organization of educational process Useful practices in the organisation of educational process

9. Special Subjects Taught • Holland: special subject ‘Life analysis’ • France: special classes for Career and Qualification planning including team- work. • Bulgaria: philosophical educational cycle, including subjects such as Psychology, Logics, Ethics, Law, Philosophy, etc. Career planning relies on the good will and personal initiative of single teachers.

10. Special Subjects Taught • “Do you think that Bulgarian educational system should include the subject ‘Life analyses”. • Interesting response • “YES” • Because anti-social types have become a “critical mass”. • In order to reduce aggression and crime, to establish clear rules of communication between fellow citizens.

11. Extracurricular activities • A main characteristic of American schools is the high priority given to sports, clubs and activities (volleyball, swimming, Math, Drama, Art, etc.) • In England extra- curricular activities are paid at will (such as short picnics, Drama classes, voluntary work, etc.) • Bulgarian educational system supplies students with extra classes for advanced education, which are participated at will (such as History, Science, Math, Biology, etc.) However, they hold an extra financial burden.

12. Extracurricular activities Do you consider a good idea to import more extracurricular activities in Bulgarian education? • “YES” • Because an excellent academic education combined with strong physical preparation constructs an out-standing personality.

13. Right of choice • England: There are 3 ‘core’ subjects. Other subjects are chosen by every single student. There are even more extra- subjects. • Sweden: Limited choice of education in the primary but in the secondary a lot more choices become available: there are 17 National programs, divided into special orientations. • Bulgaria: Students have the right to choose the type of high- school they would like to apply for.

14. Mechanism of educational process • Sweden: education pays attention to individual talents of each student. • Students and parents are involved firmly in the educational process. • Until the 8th grade there are not official marks • USA: subjects are divided not in classes, but in levels. • France: Theclasses are longer, but this is compensated by the fact that they do not have any homework or are given very small amounts of such.

15. Mechanism of educational process • Bulgaria: Theoretical knowledge is combined with individual preparation, leading to momentary memorization of the school material, which is fast forgotten by the students.

16. Mechanism of educational process Do you find the American practice of dividing the educational process in levels instead of classes, effective?

17. Useful practices in creating skills

18. Skills of teamwork • Holland: Students are trained to work mainly in groups • Bulgaria: More attention is paid on individual work and preparation but not on teamwork

19. Skills of teamwork Do you think that our educational system pays enough attention on the creation of teamwork skills of high quality?

20. Professional orientation • The USA: Students use the help of a special person called Student counselor, who gives them information and advice about their further enrolment in society. • Holland: Students are trained methods of leading a successful job- interview or writing a good motivation letter, which prepares them for their future career. • Bulgaria: Students are given only partial guidelines about their realization.

21. Professional orientation Will the quality of education change if students are guided towards their professional career in primary schools?

22. Skills of comprehension, analysis and summary • Holland: schools rely on many tasks requiring to compare two phenomena, facts or events.Thus, the gradual accumulation of similar difficulty in logical exercises prepare students for university exams, where this kind of logic verification tasks of intelligence constitute a huge share. • Most European schools: practice of creating skills of comprehending, analyzing and synthesizing information from various sources. • Bulgaria: a tendency to form such skills. However, up to now Bulgarian students have developed mainly skills of learning huge amounts of information and re-creating it.

23. Skills of free and well- founded argumentation • Finland: students have been taught how to prepare short oral presentations since their first years in school • France: students graduate by presenting and defending a group project, which combines knowledge from the fields of several different school subjects • Bulgaria: working on group presentations starts relatively late, in the high- school. Discussions and debates are also organized.

24. Skills of being tolerant to cultural, religious differences etc. • To sum up, the core of an efficienteducational system should be the principle of tolerance. • Tolerance is needed between the subjects of the educational process and the existing cultural models.

25. Thank you for your attention