114 POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - SOCIALISTS - EDUCATION

Pre-school, School Education Bill
Benefits Private Interests,
Socialists Say


Sofia, February 6 (BTA) - A day after Parliament passed on
principle a new pre-school and school education bill, the
Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - Left Bulgaria adopted a
declaration warning that it violates the tradition of education
and disregards public needs in favour of private corporate
interests.

Moved by MPs of GERB, the new bill introduces dual education and
a possibility for state financing of private schools. Also on
Thursday, Parliament turned down a bill moved by socialist MPs.

The bill which was adopted paved the way for commercialization
of a fundamental benefit and constitutional right - the right of
Bulgarian children of equal access and quality education,
regardless of the material state of their families, MP Valeri
Zhablyanov said when presenting the BSP declaration. "This bill
places education in the field of profiteering, not in the field
of quality," he commented.

Zhablyanov blamed the right for disregarding the demands of the
public and of professional circles for a real discussion of the
problems of education in Bulgaria. The draft has nothing to do
with the interests of Bulgarian society, but serves concrete
corporate interests and, even worse, ideological cliches, he
said.

Zhablyanov recalled that BSP-Left Bulgaria moved an alternative
bill which guarantees state funding only for state and municipal
schools. УIn this way we want to raise a barrier before the
trend of deepening inequality and injustice in society. This was
not heard. On the contrary, the right, the governing parties
preferred to transfer the inequality in Bulgarian society to the
children,Фhe pointed out.

The BSP MP also appealed that state funding of private schools
be scrapped between first and second reading, and that the
future law guarantee access to quality education for every
single Bulgarian child, as the Constitution states. /VI/BR

/ТК/