New regime after the Russo Turkish war

Almost the first thoughts of the new regime

after the RussoTurkish war were directed to the public instruction, the

administration of schools being confided in Eastern Roumelia to the Direction

of Public Instruction, and in Northern Bulgaria to a special ministry.

Primary education was made obligatory for

all children of both sexes. The ” Provisional Regulations,” which were

published by the GovernorGeneral, Prince Alexander Bogoridi, contained special

dispositions on this point as regards Southern Bulgaria, while in virtue of

Article 78 of the Bulgarian Constitution, elementary instruction was made, and

continues to be, obligatory for all the inhabitants of the Principality.

The Direction of Public Instruction in

Eastern Roumelia and the Ministry of Public Instruction were no sooner created

than they began in earnest the reorganisation of the public schools. Special

laws were passed in the course of the year 1880, dealing with primary and

secondary education. Later on, when the union between Bulgaria and Eastern

Roumelia was proclaimed, the educational legislation which was in force in the

latter province was repealed and its place taken by the laws, regulations, and

programmes of the Principality.

The first legislative attempt at embracing

the whole educational system of the country and placing it on more solid

foundations was the law introduced in 1891 by the then Minister of Public

Instruction, M. Georges Jivkoff, and passed by the Sixth Ordinary National

Assembly. This law, which repealed all previous legislative and administrative

regulations, continues to remain in force until this day. According to its

provisions, which, however, in that respect did not alter the former state of

things, the organisation, general direction and supreme control of the

educational establishments, as well as of the institutions having for their

objects the intellectual and moral development of the country, were vested in

the Ministry of Public Instruction.

The personnel of the Ministry of Public

Instruction consists of a chief of the section of secondary, special and higher

instruction, a chief of the section of elementary instruction, two general

inspectors of the secondary and special schools, a medical inspector, six

assistantschief, an accountant, and two Assistantaccountants.

The schools of the Principality

The schools of the Principality are divided

by the law of 1891 into national schools and private schools. All the schools

that are provided for by the State, departments, districts or parishes, and

where the instruction is given in Bulgarian, are considered as national

schools. To the category of private schools belong all the educational

establishments which are supported by the various religious communities,

associations, confraternities or private individuals.

The national schools, in their turn, are

subdivided into primary schools, secondary schools, professional schools and

high schools.