February 7 (BTA) - Twenty-one organizations of Bulgarian
migrants in 11 countries are applying for government funding to
open Sunday schools to teach Bulgarian language, literature,
geography and history to children. The largest number of
applications, six, is from the UK.

Applications have also come from organizations of Bulgarians in
Germany, Albania, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Canada
and the US, among other countries, said the Education Ministry
Monday.

There is a total of 373 Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad this
school year. They operate in 43 countries on six continents,
teaching to over 35,000 children in grades 1 to 12.

Over the past 10 years, the number of children in Bulgarian
Sunday schools increased nearly ten times.

The Education Ministry provides the schools with organizational
and methodological support. In addition to teaching the core
school subjects in Bulgarian, these schools also organize
activities aiming to preserve Bulgarian traditions, folklore and
 culture.
 
The Education Ministry has special programmes for training
Sunday school teachers and produces online materials for them.

The Sunday school students can take an exam and obtain a
Bulgarian language proficiency certificate, which they can use
to apply for university in Bulgaria.

Sunday schools may be opened by diplomatic representations,
organizations of Bulgarians abroad, that are registered by the
local legislation to engage in cultural and educational
acticities, and Orthodox religious communities. RY/LN/
//