The “SOS – Save the Education Now!” campaign is finishing, so it can give its place to the new Law for Higher Education

25/03/10

The “SOS – Save the Education Now!” campaign started as a youth project supporting the reform in higher education. It started on the 8th of December 2009 with the initiative “Plan a flexible future for yourself”, having the target of provoking the thought of the young people, which are in the base of education, how it can be changed – in their favor.

In the end of December and the beginning of January a blog and Facebook group of the campaign was created, so its main ideas could reach the greatest possible number of people. Currently there are more then 12 000 people, which regularly comment and share their ideas regarding the reform. The blog of the campaign has been visited over 5 000 times. Logically, this was followed by the filming of clips of the campaign, in which participated youths, supporters of the reform in higher education. The team which created the three clips, completely in the spirit of the campaign, also consisted entirely of young people – university students and fresh graduates from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. “I want to study in Bulgaria”; “I want no corruption” and “I want not just a diploma, but real knowledge” – the main messages of the campaign were cycled on all social networks, channels for the sharing of clips and the three main media partners of the campaign – Nova Television, Darik Radio and the Standart Newspaper.

The official start of the campaign was given on the 21st of February 2010 with a press conference in the Bulgarian News Agency, in which participated the organisers, the minister of education and the three main media partners. Right on the next day the mobile teams of “SOS – Save the Education Now!” headed towards the four corners of Bulgaria, to popularise the 12 supporting points of the campaign, which the idea for reform revolves upon. The teams participated in two international forums for higher education, during which they presented their ideas for change in the current existing educational system. In the continuation of a whole month there were over 2000 suggestions gathered in the special SOS books, which after the summery with the suggestions, which have come online, will be handed over personally to the minister, so they can mold into the project for the new Law for Higher Education.

The youth campaign “SOS – Save the Education Now!” will be officially closed on Monday the 29th of March at 13:30 in the building of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science. It will be attended by the organisers of the campaign, their media partners and the Minister of Education, Youth and Science – Mr. Ignatov, who will receive the summarized suggestions of everyone, who has participated in the campaign – students, university students, lecturers, parents and caring for education citizens.