The adoption of the State Educational Standard for the Status and professional development of teachers, directors and other pedagogical specialists – a guarantee for good results in the secondary education system

With Ordinance № 12 from 27.09.2016 of the Minister for Education and Science, the State Educational Standard (SES) for the Status and professional development of teachers, directors and other pedagogical specialists has been adopted. It creates conditions for their participation in various forms of improvement of the qualification and links the attestation (assessment) of their work with the relevant competences.

Increase the qualification of teachers is essential for improving the quality and efficiency of the education system. The adopted State Educational Standard for the Status and professional development of teachers, directors and other pedagogical specialists corresponds to the new Pre-school and School Education Act (2016) and has been agreed with the social partners, regional departments of education, higher education institutions and NGO representatives. It introduces two paths for increasing the qualification of pedagogical specialists:
 Participation in training programs (not less than 48 academic hours for a period of four years), which are approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. For them qualification credits which are important for the attestation will be awarded;
 Participation in organized by the training institution (the school where the specialists work) forms of improvement of the qualification – of at least 16 academic hours per year.
It is introduced a professional portfolio, in which teachers and trainers will reflect the achievement of professional competences. It also will be used during the attestation process in schools.
Five levels of professional qualification of teachers (the first being the highest) are distinguished and they are awarded based on the working results presented by them.
The standard also signs different professional profiles for the various types of pedagogical specialists. A profile is a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes at different levels that every specialist in the education system needs to possess.
Attestation of pedagogical specialists is carried out every four years and is implemented in two stages – self- assessment of the person and evaluation from an attestation commission that will encourage the initiative of teachers and their willingness to get qualified in shorter periods of time.