PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION FINANCING AND QUALITY IN THE EU AND BULGARIA – A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The paper addresses the structure, financing, and quality of primary and secondary school education in the EU and Bulgaria. Education is interpreted both as a process of acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and forming competencies and as an activity that encompasses learning, upbringing, and socialization of young people. The research aims to identify the reasons behind the unsatisfactory performance of Bulgarian students in international assessments. To this end, the study summarizes the specific features of education financing in Bulgaria and analyzes key indicators that characterize expenditures on primary and secondary education in the EU. From a comparative perspective, it discusses the absolute amount of funding, its share relative to GDP, the student–teacher and teaching staff ratios, as well as the number of teachers and graduates. The paper supports the view that the establishment of schools as centers for training highly qualified, motivated, and competitive professionals largely depends on the efficient use of resources and the possibilities for personalization of the learning process.