Background information

The Ministry of Education and Science is accepting applications from Ukrainians seeking or receiving international or temporary protection to enrol their children in kindergarten or school.

Ukrainian children with international or temporary protected status will be directed to a specific educational institution depending on their age, grade, and location within Bulgaria.

Content of measure

Children of parents with dual-citizenship can be admitted to a kindergarten or school without going through the procedures for refugees who have only a Ukrainian passport.

Parents from Ukraine must complete and submit an application form (available at the official website of the ministry) to the regional education directorate. Necessary information on this application is the child's mother tongue, whether they speak some Bulgarian or other European languages, and where and from which grade the child was educated until in their country.

Different NGO's and volunteers provide courses of Bulgarian language.

On 13 May 2022, the first school for Ukrainian children in Bulgaria was created. The main goal is to help Ukrainian children adapt and prepare to enter Bulgarian schools. This school is funded by the British School of Sofia. The teachers are volunteers, and 90 children are enrolled.

Use of measure

According to the Ministry of Education, as of March 2022, parents of 365 Ukrainian children and young people applied for their child's inclusion in the Bulgarian education system, 98 of those children have been enrolled in school or kindergarten. The rest of the applications are waiting for accomplishment of legal status and clarification of health status as required by the Ministry of Health, 223 Ukrainians expressed their willingness to continue their education in the region of Burgas.

According to official data from November 2022, 2,250 children and students from Ukraine are enrolled in Bulgarian schools and in pre-school education groups in kindergartens. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, as of November 2022 512 children were enrolled in pre-school education groups in kindergartens and schools, and 1,738 students from Ukraine were enrolled in schools. All of them are educated in 220 kindergartens and 431 schools.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Children (minors) Migrants or refugees

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)	Local funds National funds Other

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

There is no social partners' involvement in designing, implementation and monitoring of this initiative. This measure is very important for adapting children of Ukrainian citizens with international or temporary protection, and also supports the families of Ukrainians to settle, work and live in Bulgaria.

Views and reactions

No views or reactions to the measure. Such views if any will be included in addition, at a later stage.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 06 March 2022: Education (ukraine.gov.bg)
• 24 March 2022: 365 Ukrainian children want to study in Bulgarian schools (bnr.bg)
• 12 May 2022: First School for Ukrainian children in Bulgaria (www.24chasa.bg)
• 16 January 2023: The Ministry of Education and Culture revealed how many Ukrainian children attend Bulgarian schools and kindergartens (dariknews.bg)
• 16 January 2023: 2,250 children from Ukraine are enrolled in Bulgarian schools and kindergartens (novini.bg)