2024-03-14 22:08:01
Experts from more than 20 countries from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Expert Network for Education Policy Indicators visited Sofia Mathematical High School “Paisiy Hilendarski”. They entered classes in mathematics, music, information technology, physics, chemistry and languages in order to familiarize themselves with the learning process in one of the successful schools in Bulgaria.
The visit is part of Bulgaria’s hosting of the 31st meeting of the Expert Network for Educational Policy Indicators, at which the Ministry of Education and Science presented key reforms in the education system and upcoming challenges. Deputy Minister Natalia Miteva introduced the participants to the policies for the development and qualification of teachers.
OECD experts showed interest in the selection of high school students, whose graduates have more than 200 medals from various international competitions. SMG is also in the top 3 in Bulgaria in the external evaluations after the 7th and 10th grade and are among the ten schools with the highest results in the external evaluations after the 12th grade. The management of the school explained that the application after the 4th grade is based on the students’ participation in various mathematical Olympiads and competitions, and those with the highest results are accepted. The school has 106 teachers, 10 of whom are qualified doctors.
Some of the young teachers at SGM were presented. Among them is Vladimir Atanasov, who has been leading classes in Bulgarian language and literature since September. He identified it as a challenge to get literate, more mathematically minded children, but the students are doing great. According to the young chemistry teacher Hristo Veselinski, who successfully prepares students for participation in international Olympiads and competitions, natural sciences can go hand in hand with language learning, and SMG is an example of this. His words were confirmed by the teacher of Bulgarian language and literature and associate professor at the Institute of Bulgarian Language at BAS, Kalina Peycheva. She pointed out that it is indicative that a profile in Bulgarian language and literature has been formed in the Sofia Mathematical Gymnasium. According to her, the place of science is in education, and the students at SMG are extremely creative.
The Bulgarian Institute for Computer Sciences, Artificial Intelligence and Technologies at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” – INSAIT, which has successfully partnered with SMG and other mathematics high schools in the country. The executive director of the institute, Borislav Petrov, pointed out that INSAIT gives the opportunity to realize in Bulgaria the great talents coming out of our schools, who previously continued their studies in universities in Great Britain, Switzerland, the USA and other countries.