The country should pay the education, related to these specialties which are in demand on the labor market. The present method through which financial support is provided to the higher education in Bulgaria is not the right one due to the fact that there is a gap between the needs of the labor market and the educational programs in the universities. At the moment, BIA is working actively with nine universities in the country in order to make a reconstruction of the educational programs so that they become more effective for the needs of the economy.
This statement was emphasized by the executive president of BIA, Bojidar Danev, on a debate named “Study In Order to Work”, being organized in relation with the recent rating of the Bulgarian universities.
One of Danev’s suggestions is the introduction of a measure related to the language preparation of students as it is a very important aspect of the contemporary world. He has gone even further saying that there couldn’t be a student with higher education who doesn’t know English.
In Danev’s personal point of view, emigration is a normal process in the global economy. Though, it would be a good idea if the American system is introduced in the Bulgarian education. According to it, everyone, who has taken their university degree in the country, should return the money about his education no matter whether they are working in the country or not.
Bojidar Danev expressed his concerns about the changing values of young people in Bulgaria. “Nowadays television is constantly saying us how to stop working. That’s why young people choose to study in places where the will work less. They are not thinking about their future perspectives and about how to gain more money.”
One of his suggestions is when a youngster under 16 years old is living in bad family conditions and doesn’t go to school, to be taken out of their family and motivated to study. Also, the parents of such children should not be given the opportunity to receive financial aid.
The leader of National Competence Assessment Network stressed on the important role of the secondary education and its cooperation with the higher education. “The candidate students should be well-informed about their choice of university and specialty. This could be possible only if they receive useful information in the kinder garden, in the family and, most importantly, in school. Career orientation is one constant problem.”
In his personal opinion one very serious obstacle is the luck of an active system about defining the needs for specialist in the next 10 years. “We don’t know how many people will retire and which regional work places will disappear. At the same time, it is difficult for the universities to say for which professions they would prepare their students. “
The minister of education, Aneliya Klisarova, said that she agrees with the statements of the employers. The country is thinking of introduction of some changes in the financial system of the higher education. “The main reason for that is stimulation of the quality, not the quantity of the education”.
Vanio Mitev supported this intention, although he warned about the future conflict between the interests of the different universities. He advised all the changes in the financial support of the higher education to be done through financial stimulation and not through administrative pressure.
