ABSA conference opens debate on the future of Bulgarian schools abroad

Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski is hosting the 19th Annual Conference of the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad (ABSA) under the motto "Bulgarian Schools Abroad – A Space for Identity, Culture and Belonging." Organised with the support of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and under the patronage of the Minister of Education, the event has brought together teachers, government officials and public figures united by the mission of preserving Bulgarian roots around the world.

"The network of Bulgarian Sunday schools is one of our country's most successful projects for working with the diaspora. At present, 401 Bulgarian Sunday schools operate in 43 countries across six continents. Nearly 40,000 pupils study in them, while state funding for their activities exceeds EUR 8 million," Deputy Minister of Education Prof. Senya Terzieva told participants in the forum.

Zornitsa Gogan, Chair of the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad, welcomed participants to the conference, reminding them that for nearly two decades the forum has served as a meeting place for representatives of Bulgarian schools around the world, Bulgarian institutions and partner organisations. The conference aims to outline future priorities, including new curricula, the development of online learning, improving teachers' qualifications, and closer ties with Bulgaria's higher education system.

"The Association's 19th conference is taking place under less than ideal circumstances, but it is especially important because the question now is how the Association, established in 2007, will develop," said Milena Dimitrova, Secretary for Culture, Education and Relations with Bulgarians Abroad to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, in her welcoming address.

She then read a message from the President, in which Iliana Iotova recalls one of the most important missions of contemporary Bulgarian education abroad: preserving the Bulgarian language, cultural memory and sense of national belonging among Bulgarian children around the world.

"Thank you for your dedication and your consistent work in preserving the Bulgarian spirit far from the homeland. Your work is of exceptional public and spiritual value," the President says in her address to representatives of the Bulgarian Sunday schools.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Bulgarian schools abroad, more and more Bulgarian children are returning to study at universities in their homeland, Prof. Eliza Stefanova, Rector of Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, said in her address. The university is once again hosting the annual teachers' conference.

"Every Bulgarian child, wherever they may live, should know their roots, language, heritage and history. I want to assure you that you can always count on the support of Bulgaria's oldest university. Your educational mission has left a lasting mark on the hearts and minds of generations of Bulgarians. I congratulate you on your unwavering commitment to giving meaning to your mission as educators. It is encouraging to see that, in recent years, more and more of your pupils have chosen to come here, to Bulgaria. This year, once again, we are welcoming students who, thanks to your efforts, have become part of our academic community. Count on us – we will always stand by you."

Visits by contemporary Bulgarian writers to Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad can help children take greater pride in their Bulgarian identity, Prof. Amelia Licheva, Dean of the Faculty of Slavic Studies, said Prof. Amelia Licheva, Dean of the Faculty of Slavic Studies. She also expressed the faculty's readiness to provide even stronger methodological support to Bulgarian teachers around the world through its Department for Teaching Bulgarian as a Foreign Language.

One of the strongest expressions of patriotism today can be seen in the work of teachers at Bulgarian Sunday schools and the parents who give up precious family time to raise their children with a strong sense of Bulgarian identity.

"Bulgaria is wherever there are people with a Bulgarian identity, and that is thanks to you. I congratulate everyone who supports our education system—there is no nobler cause. I also congratulate the institutions and the Ministry of Education for helping to build on this policy, as well as the media for standing behind you," said Krasimir Valchev, Deputy Chair of Parliament's Committee on Education and Science. He also assured participants that the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad would remain a key partner in shaping and improving policies for Bulgarian education abroad.

Deputy Minister of Education Prof. Senya Terzieva also praised the teachers who preserve the Bulgarian language, culture and traditions among the children of Bulgarian communities abroad.

"You are carrying out a mission that gives Bulgarians the chance to remain Bulgarian wherever they live," she said, reaffirming the ministry's long-term commitment to Bulgarian Sunday schools. "State support will continue, and we hope funding will increase next year. The conference panels will discuss the next steps, but let me highlight some priorities: new Bulgarian language curricula, expanded online learning, teacher training, new educational resources, the exchange of good practices between schools around the world and, of course, international recognition.

"Bulgaria's education system is open to pupils from Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad. In recent years, major investments have been made in schools, universities and research. Through targeted programmes and state funding, our universities have become strong educational and research centres. We are ready to welcome graduates of Bulgarian schools in Europe and beyond into Bulgaria's higher education system. I know the challenges they face, and we will work together to remove the obstacles preventing young Bulgarians from benefiting from the opportunities our universities offer."

Rayna Mandzhukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, said the institutions represented at the conference had worked with the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad (ABSA) for years to establish it as the state's key partner representing Bulgarian Sunday schools overseas.

She paid special tribute to the Association's Management Board, elected in 2025, for organising the conference on this scale for the first time.

"They took office after a difficult period for the Association. The fact that we are once again gathered in Sofia University's largest lecture hall shows how much has been achieved in just a year. The new Management Board has begun restoring the Association to what we envisioned when we first conceived it in 2005, founded it in 2007 and saw it flourish in the years when these meetings were even held in the Bulgarian Parliament."

Mandzhukova urged the Association to continue building partnerships in Bulgaria and abroad and to strengthen cooperation with Bulgarian schools worldwide, "so that whenever the Association speaks, it is clear that it speaks on behalf of all Bulgarian schools abroad."

ABSA's annual awards

The conference also included the presentation of the Association's annual awards. Among those honoured were St Sofia Bulgarian School in Chicago, celebrating its 50th anniversary, as well as Bulgarian schools in Cyprus, Münster, Los Angeles and Palma de Mallorca. Several diplomats and public figures also received awards for their contribution to Bulgarian education abroad.

The annual meeting continued with a round-table discussion on the future of Bulgarian education abroad. On 23 July, working sessions will present new teaching resources and programmes that can further enrich the work of Bulgarian schools overseas.

Supervising Editor: Elena Karkalanova