The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) has criticized the mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, who proposed that January 3, 2025, Friday, be a non-school day for children throughout the country and thus make their Christmas vacation 16 days.
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The Ministry of Education and Science refused to declare January 3 a non-school day for the whole country, the department of Prof. Galin Tsokov.
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The Ministry of Education and Culture explains that according to the school law, the schedule of school hours is approved before the beginning of the school year.
“In the month of July, the MES prepared a draft schedule, which was published for public discussion, and during the procedure, 93 opinions were officially received. The Municipality of Sofia did not have a proposal within the statutory deadlines,” the MES says.
And they emphasize that “the school time schedule affects hundreds of thousands of families and all discussions about its changes and corrections should be the result of careful discussion”.
“This is precisely why the Law on Preschool and School Education gives mayors the opportunity to announce up to three non-school days within the year for all schools on the territory of their municipality,” says the MES, passing the ball to the capital’s mayor.
“The schedule also rests on legally determined provisions. The number of school days for each school term is imperatively regulated in the regulations. Therefore, all proposals for changes in it should comply with these requirements and should be made before the beginning of the school year.
Thus, families can plan their vacations and the days when children will not be at school and need the care of an adult,” the ministry added.
The capital mayor is on the move, who could declare January 3 a non-school day only on the territory of Sofia.
“Standart” recalls that earlier today Vasil Terziev proposed to the Minister of Education and Science January 3, 2025. to be declared a non-school day by his order.
“According to the Law on Preschool and School Education (ZPUO), it is within the competence of the Minister of Education and Science to declare non-school days or non-school days as school days,” Moskovska 33 recalled.
“Since January 3, Friday, is the only school day in the week of December 30, 2024 – January 5, 2025, which would create inconveniences not only for families in the Capital Municipality, but also for those in the territory of the country, with the thought not only for the students of Sofia, but for all children, Mayor Terziev will make a proposal to the Minister of Education.
We hope that this will benefit both the work of teachers and students, as well as the personal plans of families,” the mayor’s announcement said.
According to Art. 105, para. 3 of the Preschool and School Education Act, the mayor of the municipality can declare up to three school days as non-school days in one school year, but only in case of extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances or for the day of celebration of the municipality’s holiday, after notifying the head of the Regional Department of Education – Sofia City (RUO-Sofia City). In this sense, according to the law, the non-school day would be announced only for schools on the territory of the respective municipality, explained the Metropolitan Municipality.
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