Education minister Prof Georgi Valchev has met Mio Nemoto, the new UNICEF representative in Bulgaria, the ministry's press office said. UNICEF confirmed it will keep supporting education and help with expert advice, so that children and students have more opportunities.
Deputy minister Dr Tanya Pancheva also attended. They talked about the long partnership between the two bodies, the problems facing the school system now, and their future work.
One topic was how to balance the use of new technology in lessons. The ministry says schools should use it sensibly, to suit children's age, and to help them learn and develop.
Pre-school education got the most attention. At this age, play, contact with others and activities lay the base for a child's skills and habits.
They also discussed early language support, mental health and inclusive education. The ministry says joint efforts are needed on all three.
Valchev said teachers cannot be expected to deal alone with all the problems children face in modern society. He believes schools, families and other organisations involved must work together.
"It is necessary not only to look for solutions to the problems that appear in the school system, but also to study their root causes," the minister said. He said these are often linked to a range of factors and processes.
On the earliest years, Valchev said: "The key to early childhood development is an individual approach, so that children do not lose interest and motivation to learn from the first years." He explained that a lack of motivation carries over into the later stages of education.
The minister believes that for lasting change, the work of the institutions should not stop at projects that are completed and reported. Results and new methods must become standard practice in the system.
The ministry is working to train teachers better, so that they can handle more complex skills in working with children. It will continue its policies in this direction for both future and current teachers.
In September 2024, the ministry and UNICEF in Bulgaria announced the results of their "Steps Together" programme. Almost 12,000 students, more than 1,000 teachers and nearly 6,000 parents took part. The initiatives aim to make school a safer and more positive place. Caretaker minister Prof Galin Tsokov and UNICEF representative Christine De Bruyn then visited the Seventh Secondary School "St Sedmochislenitsi" to see how the programme had helped students build such an environment.