2024-07-19 15:26:21
- The school has the second highest score in the state for 8th grade admissions, ahead of a bunch of elite high schools
- Diploma projects are at the bachelor’s level at the Technical University in Sofia
Almost 5 excellent students for one place – this was the picture of first ranking (according to the first wish) in the specialty “System Programming” with English language at the Technological School “Electronic Systems” at the Technical University in Sofia.
TUES is the second in Sofia, right after the traditional leader of recent years – the Sofia Mathematical Gymnasium. The threshold for admission to the first ranking there is 473,500 for “System Programming” and for “Computer Networks” – 470,500 (see table).
The school gives a profession, but it is not exactly like other vocational high schools.
“As a long-time teacher and current acting director, I claim that TUES is
alternative school,
which brings together enthusiastic teachers and highly motivated students with a desire to discover new things, to be as different as possible from the rest. They learn the latest modern technologies that the IT business currently requires”, says Veselka Hristova.
The high school is a unit of the Technical University, therefore university professors enter the classes. Lectures and exercises on the special subjects are led by many docents, as well as experts from the IT business. Students touch academic learning as early as 11th and 12th grade. “There is no better option to prepare good staff that will directly flow into the university. And the students find it interesting, because their curiosity is provoked”, said director Hristova.
Because of this level of preparation and the opportunity to monitor the students’ achievements themselves, large IT companies directly hire graduates from TUES.
They like the shots even in the 11th grade
during the 2-week production practice. In the 12th grade, with their help as research supervisors, the diploma projects for obtaining a diploma for secondary education are developed (for entrants from the elite high school, the second matriculation exam is the state exam for acquiring a professional qualification). The project was written for 3 months, with their mentors being prominent specialists from companies in the IT sector. Then there is the defense before a commission, in which again there are representatives of the business, as well as of the Technical University.
Every year, the management of TUES receives letters of thanks from the companies that they had the pleasure of working with the students
The lecturers from TU this year also highly rated the diploma projects of the entrants – at the bachelor’s level, in terms of degree of difficulty, quality of execution of the written part and presentation of the material.
Another plus for the school from the cooperation with the university are
flexible curricula and plans
They are accepted at an academic council with the signature of the rector. “This gives us the opportunity to immediately feel the pulse of the new era – when a teacher comes to the school, he offers the children the latest. It’s not like listening to lectures from 40 years ago,” says Veselka Hristova. And the teachers of special subjects are mostly young people.
Proof that what is learned at TUES is the most modern is an incident from this year’s graduation. The father and brother of one of the graduating girls are also graduates of the high school. At the ceremony, the father immediately noted that his son and daughter studied different things. Dadkoto confirmed –
“Just 4 years after me, my sister is learning completely different things”
All the kids there are motivated. “This is one of the most elite schools in Bulgaria, and I want to do programming,” ninth-grader Kristiyan Kobarelov explained his choice. “I’ve been working with computers since I was little, it’s my passion,” adds Martin Valentinov. “TUES is a magnitude”, supports his classmates Yordan Tsonev. “I always wanted to deal with computer science, programming, computer networks”, explains Magdalena Nikiforova, who is sure that this is the place that will develop her in the profession.
TUES was created in 1988 as an experimental project. The school has two majors – “System Programmer” (3 classes with 26 students each) and “Computer Networks” (one class). It is a traditional favorite in the national competition in computer networks – usually TUES graduates take 1st to 20th place. In the last few years, those from the smaller classes have also participated. The high school also won the first places at the national Olympiad in information technology.
This year there is
6 full A’s
and 50 with a GPA above 5.50 out of a total of 94 graduates. And according to external evaluations in the 10th grade in Bulgarian language and mathematics, it is among the 10 best schools in our country.
TUES has a very strong relationship with its former graduates. “Thanks to the alumni association (AZTUES), which stands firmly behind us, because we are one big family. They appreciate what the school has given for them and want to give it back with a gesture,” explains Hristova. These people,
already with a successful business of their own, return as managers
of diploma projects, teachers, sponsors of events, assistants in any activity related to studies and extracurricular activities.