The national school closure will not be extended and remains as initially planned until March 11, announced the Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev. Schools in Bulgaria were closed because of the national flu type-B epidemic and not because of the coronavirus outbreak.
In some municipalities, however, the school closure will be extended. This includes the provinces of Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, as stated in national television. In the capital of Sofia, the number of infected people with the flu virus continues to grow and may prolong school closure beyond Wednesday.
Currently, there are no plans for shortening of the spring break in order to make up for the school time lost, commented minister Valchev.
Because of the flu outbreak, schoolchildren have lost on the average between 10 and 12 days of school time. Currently, school teaching schedules are being restructured in order to make up for the time loss. As planned, it would be at the expense of practical exercises.
There are no plans for the school year to be extended either, nor for the matriculation examinations to be postponed. It is quite likely that the examinations would exclude some of the school material taught towards the end of the year. Alternatives like long-distance education via virtual school rooms are being considered as they would allow for the schoolchildren to study from home with the help of the online guidance of their teachers.
Translation: Ivaylo Yotov
