“Five years ago out of a class of 18 university students only 2 said they wanted to become teachers. Now only 2 say they don’t want to. 2,500 young pedagogues started work this year alone which is bringing down the average age of school teachers. It has now fallen below 50, until very recently it was 52-53. The registered increase in the number of young teachers is 18%,” said Yanka Takeva, chair of the Trade Union of Bulgarian Teachers in Rousse, as quoted by the Bulgarian news agency BTA.

In her words interest in the profession has gone up because of the rise in teachers’ salaries. At the moment the minimum monthly salary of a school teacher is 1,085 Leva /555 euro/, and as of January 2021 it is to go up by another 15-16%.

The minimum monthly salary in Bulgaria currently stands at 610 Leva (around 312 euro).