Deputy education minister Nikolay Vitanov, a full member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, represented Bulgaria at an informal meeting of EU education ministers in Dublin, the Bulgarian education ministry said. The meeting was held during Ireland's presidency of the Council of the EU.
The ministers discussed basic skills among pupils, lifelong learning and how to prepare education for the digital and green transitions. They also talked about the PISA 2025 results, inequality in education, and better use of digital technology and artificial intelligence in teaching.
They also discussed the UK's and Switzerland's participation in the Erasmus+ programme from 2027. The ministers stressed the importance of international cooperation in education.
The ministry said Bulgaria focused on basic skills as the base for successful learning, personal growth and a career. It also said data from international tests should be used to bring lasting gains in results, and that digital technology and AI should be used responsibly to support teaching.
PISA tests how 15-year-olds use their knowledge and skills in real-life situations. It covers three main areas: science, reading and maths. In this round, science was the main area. Those who take the test are near the end of compulsory education.
In PISA 2025, 91 countries and regions took part, with more than 760,000 pupils aged between 15 years and three months and 16 years and two months.
On 5 October the European Commission published a first analysis of the EU results. The Commission's representation in Bulgaria said the analysis shows a lasting fall in basic skills among 15-year-olds across the EU. It said the bloc is moving even further from its 2030 target, and that top results are also dropping.
In the EU, 33.9% of pupils score poorly in maths, 31.3% in reading and 25.9% in science. The target for 2030 is under 15% in each of the three areas.
In 2025, 4.8% of pupils reached top results in reading, 6.4% in science and 6.8% in maths. The 2030 target is at least 12% in each area. No EU country has hit it in reading or science, and only two have done so in maths.
Bulgaria scored 421 points in science, 387 in reading and 405 in maths. The education ministry presented the data for Bulgaria, the main findings and the next steps on 8 September this year.
Kalin Baev, Bulgaria's national PISA coordinator, said the study does not test subject knowledge. It shows how far pupils use what they learn at school in real life.
During his visit to Dublin, Vitanov visited the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). He also met representatives of Bulgarian Sunday schools in Ireland, as well as Bulgarian lecturers at Irish universities. Bulgaria's ambassador to Ireland, Vanya Andreeva, helped organise the meeting with the Bulgarian representatives.