Stanimir Vlahov, teacher
What is truly necessary for Bulgarian education.
In recent weeks, there has been talk once again about increasing teachers' salaries as a top priority.
Of course, this is an important step and it does matter, but if we truly want to improve the situation of teachers and create quality education, we need to understand that higher salaries are not enough.
I am a teacher, and I believe that the biggest challenge for me and my colleagues is not only the financial reward. The real problems are related to the respect for the profession and the burden of administrative work, which already exhausts our days.
Administrative burden
Every day, we are faced with too much bureaucracy. Our time is not enough to dedicate ourselves to our main role - teaching. Instead, we are consumed with filling out endless forms, reports, and procedures that often have no value for education.
Most of the time, I don't understand why we have to create documents that no one reads, instead of being able to focus on lesson preparation and individual attention to students. This administrative burden not only takes away our time, but also kills our time for real work with children.
Respect is much more important than a higher salary.
Yes, teachers' salaries should be increased, but this will not solve the main problem - the lack of respect for the profession. Teachers are not just people standing in front of the blackboard - we shape the future society, educate the future leaders and specialists. Then why doesn't our society understand and appreciate this responsibility?
A change in the way society views teachers is necessary. Salary is just one part of what needs to be changed. A cultural change is needed to elevate education and the teaching profession to a higher status in society.
A radical reform in education is necessary.
Without a serious reform of the educational system, no matter how much salary is offered, things will not improve significantly. In my opinion, the reform should start with reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and administration. Teachers cannot be expected to cope with the growing workload and be effective at the same time.
There needs to be a clear and efficient management system in place for schools, which would relieve teachers from meaningless tasks. Instead of filling out reports that do not lead to actual results, we should be able to focus on quality teaching, individual approaches to students, and development of instructional materials and methodologies.
I do not want to just be a part of the educational administrative apparatus. I want to be a teacher who is free to devote themselves to their true work.
6055 | 10 Dec. 2025 | 13:12
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