The preparation of seventh graders for the upcoming national external assessment exams is becoming an unbearable financial burden for Bulgarian families. During the current school year, the prices of private lessons have increased by between 5 and 10%, with the costs for one child reaching hundreds of euros per month, a check by "bTV" showed.
"210 euros is the final invoice for math lessons alone, we pay between 100 and 150 euros separately for Bulgarian language", shares Dimitrina, a mother of three children. She estimates that the monthly costs for preparation and extracurricular activities for two of her children vary between 350 and 500 euros (nearly 1,000 leva), with mock exam fees of around 150 leva added.
The private education market shows huge differences depending on the location and the authority of the teacher. In Sofia and large cities, the price for an individual astronomy lesson varies between 35 and 40 leva, while group lessons are offered for 50 - 60 leva. Online platforms offer lessons in the range of 20 to 120 leva per hour.
"We have a slight increase in prices, which vary from 20 to 50 euros depending on the subject and the teacher's rating," commented Yulian Petrov from the "Education" trade union to the "Podkrepa" CT. According to him, lessons can still be found in smaller towns for 10 - 15 leva.
Despite the high prices, demand remains huge due to the belief that school preparation is insufficient. Seventh-graders say that they have to dedicate their days off to additional activities in order to be "maximum prepared".
Specialists advise parents to make a real analysis of the grades from the first term before investing in additional courses three months before the exams. According to teachers, the peak of efforts should be now, since in May the focus should fall on the review, and not on catching up on new material.