THE PLACE OF BULGARIAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN AREA OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS UNDISPUTABLE AND THE PLEDGE IS A QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT IN FAVOR OF THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

Abstract

Writing about the problems of higher education is as easy as it is challenging. Increasingly, the public opinion is that there is no normal, quality education in our country. And no one asked the question what are the reasons for such an opinion ?! Often the opinions are from Hosanna to the Crucifixion and as if with the weight of the latter. Another issue is that opinions are most often expressed by people who have been looking for loopholes in order to obtain a diploma, rather than knowledge and skills. In other words, a diploma is a document that "can lead us to certain positions", regardless of the fact that this diploma is without coverage. Without anyone thinking about the reasons for this, it is much easier to criticize without making the slightest effort to take the necessary action to prevent the quality of the educational product from deteriorating.

And why think, when reality shows otherwise. It doesn't matter what you graduate, what knowledge and skills you acquire. The leading motive is a fast career and "pushing" to the top. Quickly taking a managerial position becomes an end in itself. And if it is at a high state level, even better! Reality floods us with examples of "loyalty" to a status quo, most often partisan, as a way of rising in the hierarchy. It does not matter that someone does not understand anything, it is important to receive a stable salary, often exceeding the remuneration of some heads of state in countries that in our opinion are "normal". The fact that the efficiency is missing and the added value for society is zero (rather "eaten" and the little one) does not matter! It is important that they are from "our", "obedient" people and occupying high positions, not to allow "those who know and can". Of course, they "interfere". So to go abroad and get better there!

Such thinking has been ingrained in the minds of the younger generations for over 30 years, especially in the last 10-12 years. At the same time, before elections (and for the past year our country cannot complain about the lack of such), the programs and platforms of political parties, movements, coalitions abound in promises of changes in the direction of improving the quality of education. And immediately after that the problem is forgotten until the next time. This provoked the author's scientific research in response to the question of what we need to do in order to have a high quality of the educational process, in particular higher education and to defend its place in the European Higher Education Area.