Bulgarian minority's right to education being violated in Serbia

27.2.2015

Question for written answer E-003312-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Angel Dzhambazki (ECR)

Bulgarians in Bosilegrad (Serbia) have appealed to me, as a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education, about the failure of Georgi Dimitrov Primary School in Bosilegrad to offer education that meets the community’s needs. Many of the reports I have received concern a number of cases of abusive practice by the head of the school in relation to the appointment of teachers. Preference has been given to teachers who are associates and political protégés of the local mayor, and also to numerous individuals without proper qualifications.

As a candidate country for accession to the EU, Serbia is required to fulfil the commitments it has made, including the commitment to respect and defend the rights of its national minorities. These unlawful appointments are being made with the sole aim of preventing teachers from the Bulgarian community from teaching the children of that community. This is clearly a violation of the Bulgarian community’s rights and, more specifically, of the right of children to receive an education that meets the expectations and requirements of the region’s inhabitants. Such irregularities stem from a deliberate policy on the part of the Serbian authorities to erase the Bulgarian identity in the region.

Is the Commission aware of the problems being experienced by the Bulgarian community in Serbia and, if so, what does it intend to do to resolve them and to ensure that these people’s rights are respected?