Editing Bulgaria (section)

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Bulgaria}}
[[File:Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (37849719131).jpg|thumb|alt=Sofia University building|The Rectorate of Sofia University]]
Public expenditures for education are far below the European Union average as well.<ref name="UNICEF" /> Educational standards [[Education in Bulgaria|were once high]],{{Sfn|Library of Congress|2006|page=6}} but have declined significantly since the early 2000s.<ref name="UNICEF">{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/Bulgaria.pdf |title=Education in Bulgaria |publisher=UNICEF |date=2007 |access-date=23 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055249/http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/Bulgaria.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> Bulgarian students were among the highest-scoring in the world in terms of reading in 2001, performing better than their Canadian and German counterparts; by 2006, scores in reading, math and science had dropped. By 2018, [[Programme for International Student Assessment]] studies found 47% of pupils in the 9th grade to be [[functional illiteracy|functionally illiterate]] in reading and natural sciences.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.capital.bg/politika_i_ikonomika/obrazovanie/2019/12/03/4000165_pisa_2018_bulgarskite_uchenici_vloshavat_rezultata_si/ |title=PISA 2018: Българските ученици покоряват ново дъно |trans-title=PISA 2018: Bulgarian pupils reach new lows |publisher=Kapital Daily |last=Dimitrov |first=Deyan |date=3 December 2019 |access-date=15 December 2019 |archive-date=4 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204212145/https://www.capital.bg/politika_i_ikonomika/obrazovanie/2019/12/03/4000165_pisa_2018_bulgarskite_uchenici_vloshavat_rezultata_si/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Average basic [[literacy]] stands high at 98.4% with no significant difference between sexes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/370.html#BU |title=Field Listing: Literacy |website=[[The World Factbook]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] |access-date=15 December 2019 |archive-date=29 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329034851/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/370.html#BU |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Education and Science (Bulgaria)|Ministry of Education and Science]] partially funds public schools, colleges and universities, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process. Education in primary and secondary public schools is free and compulsory.{{Sfn|Library of Congress|2006|page=6}} The process spans 12 grades, in which grades one through eight are primary and nine through twelve are secondary level. Higher education consists of a 4-year [[Bachelor's degree|bachelor]] degree and a 1-year [[Master's degree|master's]] degree.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mon.bg/english/high/system_educ.htm |title=Structure of the Education System in Bulgaria |publisher=Ministry of Education, Youth and Science of Bulgaria |access-date=4 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111221228/http://www.mon.bg/english/high/system_educ.htm |archive-date=11 January 2012}}</ref> Bulgaria's highest-ranked higher education institution is [[Sofia University]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/locations/BG/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats |title=Bulgaria: University Ranking |magazine=Times Higher Education |access-date=28 July 2018 |archive-date=6 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906013321/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/locations/BG/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/where-to-study/study-in-bulgaria |title=Study in Bulgaria |magazine=Times Higher Education |access-date=20 May 2018 |archive-date=20 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520203048/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/where-to-study/study-in-bulgaria |url-status=live }}</ref>