National Statistical Institute

'Education and Culture Statistics' Department

Dilyan Atanasov

chief expert

2, P. Volov Str.; 1038 Sofia, Bulgaria

[email protected]

+359 2 9857 484

Statistics on basic and secondary education provide data on educational activity in all types of schools. Main units of the survey are students (new entrants and graduates) and teaching staff.

The main indicators for which data is collected on enrolled students include: sex, year of birth, grade, educational level, form of study, characteristics of the school (type, location, and type of ownership), as well as the profession/specialty studied.

Until the 2020/2021 school year (incl.), the source of the data was the educational institutions themselves, which annually completed the ‘Report on Schools’ as of October 1 of the respective year.

Starting from the 2021/2022 school year, the source of the data is the National Electronic Information System for Preschool and School Education. The observation date for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 school years is December 1, and from the 2023/2024 school year onwards – December 31.

· International Standard Classification of Education, 2011 version (ISCED 2011);

· List of professions for vocational education and training, approved by order № RD 09-413 of 12.05.2003 of the Minister of Education and Science;

· Classification of the fields of education and training 2015 (KOO 2015), promulgated in the State Gazette, no. 46 of 17.06.2016.

The survey covers all governmental, municipal and created according to the existing legal order private schools.

Starting from the 2024/2025 school year, the data on teaching staff do not include teachers in the Centers for Personal Development Support and the Centers for Special Educational Support.

A pupil/student is every person enrolled in an educational program of formal education according to ISCED irrespective of the mode of attendance. Formal education includes the educational programmes implement in the legitimate educational institutions created according to the existing legal order.

Newly enrolled pupils/students - pupils/students who have been enrolled for the first time in the initial grade or course of the respective educational level are considered newly enrolled. This means that those which have been enrolled in the same educational level previous years are not included to the number of the newly enrolled.

Graduates are those pupils/students who have received a document for a completed level from a legitimate education institution, containing all the necessary records and stamps according to the law.

Students who have left school are defined as students who were enrolled in the beginning of the previous school year but before its end due to some of the listed reasons had left the school. Those who have left school cannot be treated as dropouts from the educational system because they could continue their education during the next school year and those who were under 16 years of age are obliged to continue their education. Data on left students are available up to the 2019/2020 school year, due to lack of information about them in the administrative registers of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The teachers are official persons who directly conduct the training sessions according to curriculum irrespective of whether they are full or part time employees. Directors and assistant directors are observed separately although a great part of them may have lecturing functions as well.

An educational institution is defined as a centre taking independent decisions, which performs educational services for persons and organizations and is created according to the rules of the law. This means that the institution has a manager (director, rector or another manager) i.e. that this is an 'independent' educational institution. 'Dependent' educational institutions are branches or units known under other names and are typically subordinate to an independent institution. When determining the number of schools, only independent institutions are included, without their branches.

Depending on the type of programme in which they are enrolled, students are classified into the following groups: those studying in general education programmes, those studying in special programmes, and those studying in vocational programmes. Vocational programmes include students who are enrolled in a specialty/profession listed in the Register of Professions for Vocational Education and Training. Special programmes include students attending special schools. All remaining students are classified in general education programmes.

According to the type of ownership, schools are divided into public and private. The group of public schools includes all state and municipal schools, while the group of private schools includes all private and spiritual schools.

Pupils/students (incl. newly enrolled and graduates) and teaching staff.

Participants in formal education.

Whole country. Data is published down to municipality level.

State-funded Bulgarian schools abroad are also covered and their figures are regionally classified as belonging to the city of Sofia.

From 2000.

Not applicable.

Number and percent.

School year for students and teaching staff, and calendar year for graduates.

• Law on Vocational Education and Training;
• Law on National Enlightment and the Rules on its implementation (up to the 2016);
• Methodological documents of Eurostat;
• Regulation (EC) No 452/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning;
• Commission regulation (EU) No 912/2013;
• Law on Statistics;
• Law of the Level of Education, Educational Minimum and Curriculum.
• Pre-school and School education act (From 2016).

Not applicable.

• Law on Statistics;
• Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.

In compliance to the Law on Statistics (Articles 25 and 26).

In accordance to the dates defined in the Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys carried out by the National Statistical Institute.

The calendar is available on the NSI website: https://www.nsi.bg/en/node/480

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

Annually.

Regular press release in the internet site.

· Education in the Republic of Bulgaria;

· Statistical Yearbook;

· Statistical Reference Book;

· The regions, districts and municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Data on Basic and secondary education (primary, lower secondary and upper secondary) are available to all users of the NSI website under the heading Education and Lifelong Learning: https://www.nsi.bg/en/node/4810 and Informational System "Infostat": https://infostat.nsi.bg/infostat/pages/module.jsf?x_2=140

In accordance to the Rules on Provision of the Anonymised Individual Data for Scientific and Research purposes.

Information services by order in accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

· Methodological documents of Eurostat;

· Survey Methodology: https://www.nsi.bg/sites/default/files/files/metadata/Edu_Meth_en.pdf

Quality report in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 912/2013.

A set of quality criteria has been introduced in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 912/2013.

The national quality report provides users with basic information on quality at national level.

State and regional authorities, international organisations, national and foreign users.

Information is not available.

Information is not available.

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

For the published data up to and including the 2020/2021 school year:

• Reference date: 1 October

• Data collection: October – November

• Data processing: December – March

• Publication at national level: April

• Transmission to Eurostat: September

For the published data for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 school years:

• Reference date: 1 December

• Receipt of data from administrative source: February

• Data processing: February – April

• Publication at national level: April

• Transmission to Eurostat: September

For the published data from the 2023/2024 school year onwards:

• Reference date: 31 December

• Receipt of data from administrative source: January/February

• Data processing: February – April

• Publication at national level: April/May

• Transmission to Eurostat: September

Data was disseminated at national level and delivered to Euorostat on time.

Fully comparable with all EU Member States.

From 2000/2001 to 2016/2017 school year, there is partial comparability due to the changes of national legislation.

Since 2017/2018 school year, there is break in the time series due to changes in the national education system (Pre-school and School Education Act, promulgated SG No.79 of 13 October 2015). The data are not comparable to the previous school years.

From the school year 2021/2022 there is a break in the time series due to a change in the data source and the reference date. The data are partially comparable with previous school years.

Data are coherent with 'Adult education survey'.

Carried out quality tests, mainly on the coherency of the gathered information.

Information is not available.

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

Up to 2020/2021 school year (incl.): All types of state, municipal and established by law established private schools.

From 2021/2022 school year: The National Electronic System for Pre-school and School Education, maintained by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Annually.

Up to 2020/2021 school year (incl.): Exhaustive survey (census) via the statistical form ‘Report on Schools’.

From 2021/2022 school year: Administrative data received from the Ministry of Education and Science.

Data validation is done by the National Statistical Institute and quality tests are carried out by the Eurostat.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

National Statistical Institute

'Education and Culture Statistics' Department

Dilyan Atanasov

chief expert

2, P. Volov Str.; 1038 Sofia, Bulgaria

[email protected]

+359 2 9857 484

Statistics on basic and secondary education provide data on educational activity in all types of schools. Main units of the survey are students (new entrants and graduates) and teaching staff.

The main indicators for which data is collected on enrolled students include: sex, year of birth, grade, educational level, form of study, characteristics of the school (type, location, and type of ownership), as well as the profession/specialty studied.

Until the 2020/2021 school year (incl.), the source of the data was the educational institutions themselves, which annually completed the ‘Report on Schools’ as of October 1 of the respective year.

Starting from the 2021/2022 school year, the source of the data is the National Electronic Information System for Preschool and School Education. The observation date for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 school years is December 1, and from the 2023/2024 school year onwards – December 31.

· International Standard Classification of Education, 2011 version (ISCED 2011);

· List of professions for vocational education and training, approved by order № RD 09-413 of 12.05.2003 of the Minister of Education and Science;

· Classification of the fields of education and training 2015 (KOO 2015), promulgated in the State Gazette, no. 46 of 17.06.2016.

The survey covers all governmental, municipal and created according to the existing legal order private schools.

Starting from the 2024/2025 school year, the data on teaching staff do not include teachers in the Centers for Personal Development Support and the Centers for Special Educational Support.

A pupil/student is every person enrolled in an educational program of formal education according to ISCED irrespective of the mode of attendance. Formal education includes the educational programmes implement in the legitimate educational institutions created according to the existing legal order.

Newly enrolled pupils/students - pupils/students who have been enrolled for the first time in the initial grade or course of the respective educational level are considered newly enrolled. This means that those which have been enrolled in the same educational level previous years are not included to the number of the newly enrolled.

Graduates are those pupils/students who have received a document for a completed level from a legitimate education institution, containing all the necessary records and stamps according to the law.

Students who have left school are defined as students who were enrolled in the beginning of the previous school year but before its end due to some of the listed reasons had left the school. Those who have left school cannot be treated as dropouts from the educational system because they could continue their education during the next school year and those who were under 16 years of age are obliged to continue their education. Data on left students are available up to the 2019/2020 school year, due to lack of information about them in the administrative registers of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The teachers are official persons who directly conduct the training sessions according to curriculum irrespective of whether they are full or part time employees. Directors and assistant directors are observed separately although a great part of them may have lecturing functions as well.

An educational institution is defined as a centre taking independent decisions, which performs educational services for persons and organizations and is created according to the rules of the law. This means that the institution has a manager (director, rector or another manager) i.e. that this is an 'independent' educational institution. 'Dependent' educational institutions are branches or units known under other names and are typically subordinate to an independent institution. When determining the number of schools, only independent institutions are included, without their branches.

Depending on the type of programme in which they are enrolled, students are classified into the following groups: those studying in general education programmes, those studying in special programmes, and those studying in vocational programmes. Vocational programmes include students who are enrolled in a specialty/profession listed in the Register of Professions for Vocational Education and Training. Special programmes include students attending special schools. All remaining students are classified in general education programmes.

According to the type of ownership, schools are divided into public and private. The group of public schools includes all state and municipal schools, while the group of private schools includes all private and spiritual schools.

Pupils/students (incl. newly enrolled and graduates) and teaching staff.

Participants in formal education.

Whole country. Data is published down to municipality level.

State-funded Bulgarian schools abroad are also covered and their figures are regionally classified as belonging to the city of Sofia.

From 2000.

Not applicable.

Up to 2020/2021 school year (incl.): All types of state, municipal and established by law established private schools.

From 2021/2022 school year: The National Electronic System for Pre-school and School Education, maintained by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Annually.

Up to 2020/2021 school year (incl.): Exhaustive survey (census) via the statistical form ‘Report on Schools’.

From 2021/2022 school year: Administrative data received from the Ministry of Education and Science.

Data validation is done by the National Statistical Institute and quality tests are carried out by the Eurostat.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

A set of quality criteria has been introduced in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 912/2013.

The national quality report provides users with basic information on quality at national level.

State and regional authorities, international organisations, national and foreign users.

Information is not available.

Information is not available.

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (no imputations).

Not applicable (census).

Not applicable (no seasonal adjustments).

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

Not applicable (preliminary data not published).

For the published data up to and including the 2020/2021 school year:

• Reference date: 1 October

• Data collection: October – November

• Data processing: December – March

• Publication at national level: April

• Transmission to Eurostat: September

For the published data for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 school years:

• Reference date: 1 December

• Receipt of data from administrative source: February

• Data processing: February – April

• Publication at national level: April

• Transmission to Eurostat: September

For the published data from the 2023/2024 school year onwards:

• Reference date: 31 December

• Receipt of data from administrative source: January/February

• Data processing: February – April

• Publication at national level: April/May

• Transmission to Eurostat: September

For the latest published period: ≈ 15 weeks.

Not applicable (only final results published).

Data was disseminated at national level and delivered to Euorostat on time.

Not applicable (data published on exact date).

Fully comparable with all EU Member States.

Not applicable (no flows).

From 2000/2001 to 2016/2017 school year, there is partial comparability due to the changes of national legislation.

Since 2017/2018 school year, there is break in the time series due to changes in the national education system (Pre-school and School Education Act, promulgated SG No.79 of 13 October 2015). The data are not comparable to the previous school years.

From the school year 2021/2022 there is a break in the time series due to a change in the data source and the reference date. The data are partially comparable with previous school years.

Up to the 2016/2017 school year – 17 years.
Up to the 2020/2021 school year – 4 years.
From the 2021/2022 school year – 3 years.

Data are coherent with 'Adult education survey'.

Not applicable (annual survey).

Not applicable.

Carried out quality tests, mainly on the coherency of the gathered information.

Regular press release in the internet site.

· Education in the Republic of Bulgaria;

· Statistical Yearbook;

· Statistical Reference Book;

· The regions, districts and municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Data on Basic and secondary education (primary, lower secondary and upper secondary) are available to all users of the NSI website under the heading Education and Lifelong Learning: https://www.nsi.bg/en/node/4810 and Informational System "Infostat": https://infostat.nsi.bg/infostat/pages/module.jsf?x_2=140

Not available.

In accordance to the Rules on Provision of the Anonymised Individual Data for Scientific and Research purposes.

Information services by order in accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

Not available.

· Methodological documents of Eurostat;

· Survey Methodology: https://www.nsi.bg/sites/default/files/files/metadata/Edu_Meth_en.pdf

Not avaliable.

Quality report in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 912/2013.

Information is not available.

• Law on Statistics;
• Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.

In compliance to the Law on Statistics (Articles 25 and 26).