Expenditure on Schools Compared with the Number of Students

The cost of education gives an idea of how much a country invests in its students. When the total amount of money spent on schools is divided by the total number of students, we get the average annual cost per student.

For the given year, this amount was 22.38 francs per student. This means that, on average, the government and local communities together spent about 22 francs a year to educate each student in the Principality of Bulgaria.

This figure helps us understand the country’s financial commitment to education at that time. Even though the amount seems small today, it represented a significant investment in the early 1900s, when Bulgaria was still developing its national education system Private Tours Bulgaria.

Secondary Education in Bulgaria

After completing primary school, students could continue to secondary education, which offered a more advanced and specialized program. The main institutions for secondary education were the Gymnasia for Boys and the High Schools for Girls. These schools prepared students either for university studies or for professional and teaching careers.

Gymnasia for Boys

In the early 20th century, there were ten gymnasia for boys throughout Bulgaria. Five of these schools had two main sections: a classical section and a modern section.

The goal of the gymnasia was to provide students with broad and advanced knowledge and to prepare them for higher studies. The education was divided into two main courses:

Elementary course: 3 years

Higher course: 4 years

Together, the full program lasted seven years.

The curriculum included a wide range of subjects such as:

Religion

Bulgarian language

French and German

Russian

Latin and Greek

History and geography

Civic instruction

Arithmetic, geometry, and algebra

Descriptive geometry and drawing

Physics, chemistry, and natural science

Psychology, logic, and ethics

Calligraphy, singing, and gymnastics

The higher course had two specialized tracks:

Classical section: Greek, Latin, and literature

Science section: Geometrical drawing, descriptive geometry, and science-focused subjects

High Schools for Girls

There were eight high schools for girls in the Principality. The full program lasted seven years, divided into two departments: elementary and higher.

The elementary department included five classes.

The higher department had two classes, focusing on general education and pedagogics (teacher training).

Some schools only offered the five elementary classes. These institutions played a vital role in increasing education among women and training future teachers.

By 1904, Bulgaria had made notable progress in education. The government invested about 22.38 francs per student, and both boys and girls had access to organized secondary education. The gymnasia for boys prepared future scholars and professionals, while the high schools for girls opened doors for women’s education and teaching careers. These developments marked an important step in Bulgaria’s journey toward a modern educational system.