In this section we give an outline of the Bulgarian education system, followed by some information on international schools which are often favoured by expat families. Some useful links are also provided.

Bulgaria's education system basically consists of three types of schools: state, municipal and private (including religious). The levels are primary (1st to 4th grade), basic (5th to 7th grade) and secondary (8th to 12th grade). There are two terms in the school year - the first runs from mid-September to the end of January, the second from the start of February to the end of June.

All Bulgarian secondary schools follow the same curriculum: subjects include mathematics, literature (Bulgarian and foreign), foreign languages, history, geography, physics, biology, chemistry, computer sciences, psychology, ethics and law, philosophy, music, arts, vocational training and physical education. The grading system for all Bulgarian secondary schools is uniform. Based on a six-point scale, it grades from 'fair' to 'excellent', but students are not ranked.

Bulgaria also has some language schools which start with an extra year of intensive language training (around 20 classes a week). This is to equip students with enough linguistic competence to study all major subjects in that language.

Private and International schools remain popular with expat families. Many offer internationally recognised programs such as the International Baccalaureat. For information on the choices available in Bulgaria, plus some lists of schools, the following links may be useful:

http://privateschool.about.com/od/bulgarianschools/

http://www.need.bg/en/?c=150