INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS IN THE PRE-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The general provisions of the new Pre-school and School Education Act have laid the foundation for the introduction of new type of schools in Bulgaria – the so-called innovative schools. This has resulted in an increasing number of such schools in the last three years. Innovative schools are schools which achieve higher quality of education by: 1) developing and introducing innovative elements in the organization and/or content of teaching, 2) organizing management, instruction and educational environment in a new or improved way, 3) using new teaching methods, and 4) developing teaching content, curricula and syllabi in a new way. The aim of this article is to examine and present to audience the statute of innovative schools in Bulgarian educational legislation and the procedure they should go through in order to obtain an innovative school status.

Key words: educational innovation, innovative school practices, school legislation,
state educational standards