Teachers from Sunday schools abroad - with Bulgaria in their hearts also in Portugal

published on 3/22/24 7:15 AM

Students from the Bulgarian Sunday school in Lisbon

Photo: Krasimir Martinov, BNR

An open lesson on patriotism at the St. St. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Sunday School in Libson put an end to the educational forum in the Portuguese capital, which brought together teachers from Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad, experts from Bulgaria's Ministry of Education and Science, professors from Plovdiv University.

Lisbon is hosting a forum on Bulgarian education abroad

For three days, they all discussed and shared personal experience in teaching History and Geography of Bulgaria, learned innovative methods and received practical guidelines for presenting the materials for both subjects in Bulgarian schools abroad, which are attended by Bulgarian children growing up in a foreign-language and multicultural environment.

In the open lesson on patriotism at St. St. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Sunday schoоl, with the help of their beloved teacher and founder of the school Rumyana Davidova, the students showed the guests what they know about Bulgarian history, how they speak and recite in Bulgarian. Those present were delighted to learn that some of the school's graduates easily master 3, 4 and even 6 languages.

Before the class, the children and their parents prayed and lit a candle in the chapel in the courtyard of the school, honored the memory of the deceased leader of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Neophyte, and Father Zachary Bozov offered a prayer for the salvation of his soul.

On the previous day of the forum "Innovative methods and materials for teaching Bulgarian history and geography in Bulgarian schools abroad", Dr. Valentina Aleksandrova-Kirova from the Ivan Stancioff Bulgarian School at the Bulgarian embassy in London introduced her colleagues to new teaching methods already implemented from her and her colleagues providing an exciting journey through time and space for the children of this Bulgarian school.

The doctoral candidate from the Department of Ethnology of Plovdiv University Victoria Nedevska presented the possibilities for innovations in teaching through the forms of intangible cultural heritage. She herself, dressed in a 150-year-old Kyustendil folk costume, demonstrated in practice how cultural heritage can be included in the methodology of teaching children from Bulgarian Sunday schools. The study she presented on embroidery as a living heritage also sparked interest.

At the end of the event, Assoc. Prof. Adriana Ljubenova from Plovdiv University also handed out certificates for completed training within the framework of the forum, and all participants took a group photo and wished to put into practice what they had learned during the three days in Lisbon, as well as to deepen contacts with each other, to maintain a sustainable network created by the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad, and why not - to expand it.