About the School

Bulgarian School "Kiril and Metodiy" in Nicosia

Mission

To pursue policies for the preservation and promotion of the Bulgarian language and culture in Cyprus. To build a positive image of Bulgarian heritage.

Founding and Governance

The Bulgarian School in Nicosia opened its doors on 24 September 2006. In 2008, the Heritage Languages and Cultures Foundation foundation was established and took over its management.

Students from grades 1 through 12 are taught at the Bulgarian School in Nicosia, in a renovated building in the old city.

Each school year begins with a parents' information day on the Saturday closest to 15 September, during which children are also enrolled. Classes begin the Saturday after the information day.

Extracurricular activities start on 1 October. The end of the school year varies for primary, lower secondary and upper secondary students.

Certificates

Under Decree No. 334 of 8 December 2011, the Bulgarian School in Nicosia is included in the List of Bulgarian Schools Abroad, approved by Order No. RD 09-397/09.04.2012 of the Minister of Education and Science.

The certificates of completed education issued by the school are recognised in Bulgaria and allow students to enrol in the next grade at Bulgarian schools without sitting equivalence exams.

Education

Education for students from grades 1 to 12 follows adapted curricula and teaching materials for Bulgarian children abroad, approved by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science in accordance with Ministerial Decree No. 334.

The school offers in-person, individual and self-study forms of education.

The school is the only one in Cyprus that provides distance learning through an interactive e-learning platform. All children at the school, regardless of their chosen form of education, have access to the video lessons and other resources available on the Platform.

Compulsory subjects at the School are:

Bulgarian language and literature (grades 1-12)
History and civilisation (grades 5-7, 11)
Geography and economics (grades 5-7)

The School also teaches Bulgarian as a foreign language for children from mixed marriages and Cypriot citizens — both children and adults. The instruction follows the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages at levels A1, A2, B1, B2.

The school holds the status of an Examination Centre of the European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages and issues the European ECL Certificate for proficiency in Bulgarian as a foreign language, recognised by Bulgarian universities for admission purposes.

Extracurricular activities focus on Bulgarian culture: children learn traditional folk dances and attend an art workshop where they make items connected to national traditions and culture — martenitsi, survaknitsi, and more. Optional subjects at the School include mathematics, English and Greek.

24 May, 2014