Bulgarian school curriculum: Ordinance No. 4 and 2026 changes
Ordinance No. 4/2015 on the Curriculum: framework, model, school and individual curricula, and the Art. 21 change in State Gazette No. 38 of 2026.
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum is the state educational standard that arranges the whole architecture of teaching time: from the framework curricula annexed to the ordinance itself to the individual curriculum of a single pupil. With the amendment and supplement published in the State Gazette (ДВ) No. 38 of 24 April 2026, in force from the 2026-2027 school year, the regime under Art. 21 for individual curricula is substantially restructured.
The change is narrow in volume but not in importance. It affects only Art. 21, redistributing the grounds for a lighter regime between pupils with special educational needs (СОП) and gifted pupils (ученици с изявени дарби), and it introduces a new ceiling, different in structure, for reducing teaching hours. This analysis organises the ordinance and sets out the exact scope of the 2026 amendment with the verified text of the key provisions.
❓What does Ordinance No. 4 of 2015 on the Curriculum regulate?
Source: Art. 1 of Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
Scope and legal basis
The ordinance was issued by the Minister of Education and Science and has been in force since 4 December 2015. It repeals Ordinance No. 6 of 2001 on the distribution of teaching time for reaching the general education minimum by grades, stages and levels of education.
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
Art. 1(2)
The four subjects of regulation also outline the structure of the ordinance itself.
Official Bulgarian text
„Държавният образователен стандарт за учебния план определя: 1. характеристиките, съдържанието и структурата на учебния план; 2. рамковите учебни планове в зависимост от степента и вида на образованието и спецификата и формата на обучението; 3. структурата на училищните и на индивидуалните учебни планове, както и условията и реда за тяхното утвърждаване; 4. изискванията към училищните учебни планове на иновативните училища.“
The reference in the final provisions deserves separate attention. The ordinance names as its legal basis Art. 22(3) in conjunction with Art. 22(2), item 4 of the Preschool and School Education Act (ЗПУО). In the current version of the ЗПУО, however, the state educational standard for the curriculum is given in Art. 22(2), item 3, while item 4 regulates the standard for general education.
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
§ 3 of the Transitional and Final Provisions
Official Bulgarian text
„Тази наредба се издава на основание чл. 22, ал. 3 във връзка с чл. 22, ал. 2, т. 4 от Закона за предучилищното и училищното образование.“
Preschool and School Education Act (ЗПУО)
Art. 22(2), items 3 and 4
In the officially promulgated list, item 3 is the curriculum standard and item 4 is the general education standard.
Preschool and School Education Act (ЗПУО)
Art. 22(3)
Official Bulgarian text
„Държавните образователни стандарти по ал. 2, т. 3, 4 и 13 се приемат с наредби на министъра на образованието и науката.“
A discrepancy in the reference
Verified legal text: § 3 of the ordinance points to item 4, while Art. 22(2) of the ЗПУО places the curriculum standard in item 3 and the general education standard in item 4.
Interpretation: Art. 22(3) of the ЗПУО expressly covers both item 3 and item 4 and assigns the adoption of the relevant standards by ordinance to the Minister of Education and Science. The textual discrepancy in itself does not erase the Minister's statutory power under item 3, but this material draws no separate conclusion about the possible consequences of the mistaken reference in § 3.
Recommendation: when citing in a procedural document, reproduce the text of § 3 as it was promulgated and note separately the content of Art. 22(2), item 3 of the ЗПУО.
Structure of the curriculum: sections А, Б, В and Г
The curriculum distributes teaching time between subjects, modules or activities for acquiring school education. Its structure rests on three groups of teaching hours, distributed in sections, with one additional section for special schools. The sections are labelled with the first letters of the Cyrillic alphabet: А (A), Б (B), В (V) and Г (G).
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
Art. 2(2) and (3)
Official Bulgarian text
„(2) Структурата на учебния план обхваща три групи учебни часове, разпределени в раздели, както следва: 1. раздел А – задължителни учебни часове; 2. раздел Б – избираеми учебни часове; 3. раздел В – факултативни учебни часове. (3) Учебният план за специалните училища за ученици със сензорни увреждания съдържа и раздел Г – часове, предвидени за изучаване на специалните учебни предмети.“
Note the wording: the legislator speaks of three groups of hours “distributed in sections”, not of three sections. Section Г is a separate section, but it does not form a fourth group within the meaning of paragraph 2.
24
framework curricula, set out as Annexes No. 1 to 24 (Art. 12(2))
32
weekly hours in sections А + Б from grade V to XII (Art. 3(1), item 4)
50%
new ceiling for the individual curriculum of a pupil with СОП (Art. 21, item 4, from the 2026-2027 school year)
The weekly hours in sections А and Б are fixed by grade, and the number of teaching weeks by stage. Both parameters allow exceptions. When working with Art. 3(1), pay attention to the numbering: items 5, 6 and 7 were repealed by State Gazette No. 69 of 2022, so the raised ceiling of 40 teaching hours is now found in item 8.
| Parameter | General rule | Exception | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly hours, sections А + Б | 22 hours in grade I, 23 in grade II, 27 in grades III and IV, 32 from grade V to XII | Up to 40 teaching hours for work-based learning (dual system), and for schools with an agreement under Art. 28(3) of the ЗПУО, schools under § 4к of the Additional Provisions of the Higher Education Act (ЗВО), culture schools, arts schools and sports schools | Art. 3(1), items 1 to 4 and item 8 |
| Increase of the hours | Not permitted | Up to a 10% increase in the total number of hours in sections А and Б for innovative schools | Art. 3(2) |
| Teaching weeks per year | 32 from grade I to III, 34 from grade IV to VI, 36 from grade VII to XI, 31 for grade XII | No more than 38 teaching weeks for innovative schools | Art. 4(1) and (2), item 3 |
| Teaching weeks under an individual curriculum | By the general rule of Art. 4(1) | Reduction or increase of up to 50% for pupils wishing to complete in other time frames | Art. 4(2), item 2 |
Weekly hours and teaching weeks under Ordinance No. 4 of 2015
The four levels of curriculum: who approves what
The ordinance works with four kinds of curricula, arranged in a hierarchy. The distinction between them matters in practice, because the regime for adoption and approval is different at each level.
A common citation mistake
Art. 12 contains no approval clause. The provision sets the content of the framework curricula and lists them as Annexes No. 1 to 24 to the ordinance itself. The framework curricula are part of the legislative act, not separate acts that the minister approves afterwards.
The power of approval is regulated in Art. 13 and relates to the model curricula for specialities within professions and for specialised training.
| Type of curriculum | Who adopts and approves it | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Framework curriculum | Part of the ordinance: Annexes No. 1 to 24, issued by the Minister of Education and Science together with the act | Art. 12 |
| Model curriculum (типов учебен план) | Approved by the Minister of Education and Science, after coordination, within their competence, with representatives of employers, the Minister of Youth and Sports or the Minister of Culture | Art. 13(1) and (3) |
| School curriculum | Adopted by decision of the pedagogical council, coordinated with the public council, approved by the headteacher | Art. 14 and Art. 17(1) |
| Individual curriculum | Discussed and adopted by the pedagogical council, approved by the headteacher | Art. 20 and Art. 23(2) |
Competence by curriculum level
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
Art. 13(1)
Official Bulgarian text
„Въз основа на съответните рамкови учебни планове по чл. 12 министърът на образованието и науката – след съгласуване по компетентност с представители на работодателите, с министъра на младежта и спорта или с министъра на културата – утвърждава типови учебни планове по специалности от професии за професионална подготовка.“
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School curriculum: development and approval
Every school develops its own school curriculum on the basis of a chosen framework or model curriculum that corresponds to the type of education and the specifics of the training. The choice binds the school for the whole stage, or for the whole level of education. By the literal text of Art. 14(1), this rules out changing the framework in the middle of a stage.
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
Art. 17(1) and (2)
Paragraph 1 was amended by State Gazette No. 76 of 2020; paragraph 2 is part of the originally promulgated text. It is cited by article without a block quote, because the current version is composed of more than one primary act.
Procedure for approving a school curriculum
Choice of a framework or model curriculum
Art. 14(1)The choice applies to the whole stage, or to the whole level of education.
Drawing up the school curriculum
Art. 14(3)The school year, the form of training and the organisation of the school day are stated, the subjects from section А are listed, and the subjects from sections Б and В are determined, with the weekly number of hours not less than 0.5 hours.
Adoption by decision of the pedagogical council
Art. 17(1)The school curriculum is adopted by decision of the pedagogical council.
Coordination with the public council
Art. 17(1)Under the conditions and by the procedure of Art. 269(2) and (3) of the ЗПУО. For state sports schools and for culture schools it is also coordinated with the relevant minister.
Approval by the headteacher
Art. 14(2) and Art. 17(1)It is approved for each school year for each class group (паралелка). Exception: innovative schools, whose curricula may also be approved for all grades of a given stage.
Entry in the НЕИСПУО
Art. 17(2)School curricula are entered every year in the National Electronic Information System for Preschool and School Education (НЕИСПУО) under Art. 250 of the ЗПУО.
The individual curriculum and the amendment in State Gazette No. 38 of 2026
An individual curriculum (индивидуален учебен план, ИУП) is developed for the teaching of an individual pupil in a given grade on the basis of the relevant school curriculum. The circle of addressees is set out in Art. 20(2): pupils in an individual form of study, pupils with special educational needs and gifted pupils, in the forms of study stated in the provision and where necessary.
The amendment in State Gazette No. 38 of 24 April 2026 affects only Art. 21 and enters into force from the 2026-2027 school year. It is not cosmetic: until now Art. 21, item 3 allowed a reduced number of teaching hours in one, several or all subjects, without the text limiting the circle of pupils. After the amendment item 3 is supplemented with an express addressee, and for pupils with СОП a separate new item 4 is created with a boundary of a different construction.
Ordinance amending and supplementing Ordinance No. 4 of 2015 on the Curriculum
§ 1, items 2 and 3, State Gazette No. 38 of 24 April 2026
This is the verbatim text of the amending act. The current item 3 is formed from the previous text of Art. 21, item 3 and the words added at the end; item 4 is entirely new.
Official Bulgarian text
„2. В т. 3 накрая се поставя тире и се добавят думите „за ученик с изявени дарби“. 3. Създава се т. 4: „4. намален брой учебни часове с не повече от 50 % от общия брой часове, предвидени в училищния учебен план за раздел А и раздел Б – за ученик със специални образователни потребности.““
The difference in the calculation base is the essential point. The limit under item 3 is subject-based: it applies separately to each subject and allows a different degree of reduction in different subjects. The limit under the new item 4 is aggregate: it sets a ceiling on the total hours in sections А and Б taken as a whole, without prescribing a distribution by subject.
| Provision | Until the 2025-2026 school year | From the 2026-2027 school year |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 21, item 2: dropping subjects for a pupil with СОП | On the basis of a medical document, the personal development support team has recommended that the subjects not be studied | The same, but the recommendation is given with the relevant reasons and after the informed consent of the parent |
| Art. 21, item 3: reduction in an individual subject | Up to 50% at the basic level and up to 70% at the secondary level, without an express addressee in the text | The same percentages, but expressly “for a gifted pupil” |
| Art. 21, item 4: reduction of the total hours | Does not exist | A new ground: no more than 50% of the total hours in sections А and Б, for a pupil with СОП |
Scope of the amendment in State Gazette No. 38 of 24 April 2026
The new wording of item 2 adds two procedural requirements to the recommendation of the personal development support team: it must be reasoned and it must be preceded by the informed consent of the parent. This makes the parent's informed consent an express legal precondition. Legal conclusion: its absence may matter in a later review of the lawfulness of the approved individual curriculum.
An open question on application
After the amendment item 3 contains the express addressee “for a gifted pupil”, and item 4 “for a pupil with special educational needs”. Art. 20(2), item 1, however, provides for an individual curriculum also for pupils in an individual form of study, who fall into neither of the two categories.
Unsettled interpretation: the literal reading raises the question on what basis a reduced number of teaching hours is allowed for this third group after the 2026-2027 school year. As of the date of this analysis the amendment is not yet applied and there is no practice under the new wording.
Recommendation: when preparing an individual curriculum for a pupil in an individual form of study, also check the state educational standard on the organisation of activities in school education, to which Art. 23(1) refers. The reference itself does not replace a missing substantive basis for reducing the hours.
Ordinance No. 4 of 30 November 2015 on the Curriculum
Art. 23
Official Bulgarian text
„(1) Индивидуалният учебен план при индивидуална форма на обучение се разработва по реда на държавния образователен стандарт за организацията на дейностите в училищното образование, а индивидуалният учебен план в случаите по чл. 20, ал. 2, т. 2 и 3 – по реда на държавния образователен стандарт за приобщаващото образование. (2) Индивидуалният учебен план се обсъжда и приема от педагогическия съвет и се утвърждава от директора на училището.“
A practical guide for lawyers and headteachers
The check below covers the regulatory requirements that follow from the cited provisions. It is aligned with the version of the ordinance that applies from the 2026-2027 school year.
Check before approving a school curriculum
The chosen framework or model curriculum corresponds to the type of education and the specifics of the training*
Art. 14(1)
The same framework or model curriculum applies for the whole stage, or for the whole level*
Art. 14(1), second sentence
The weekly number of hours for the subjects from sections Б and В is not less than 0.5 hours*
Art. 14(3), items 4 and 5
One teaching hour a week is provided for sports activities and one class hour (час на класа), outside the hours of the framework curriculum*
Art. 14(5) and (6)
There is a decision of the pedagogical council adopting the curriculum*
Art. 17(1)
Coordination with the public council has been carried out under Art. 269(2) and (3) of the ЗПУО*
Art. 17(1)
The curriculum has been approved by the headteacher for the relevant school year and the relevant class group*
Art. 14(2) and Art. 17(1)
The curriculum has been entered in the НЕИСПУО under Art. 250 of the ЗПУО*
Art. 17(2)
For an individual curriculum: the correct ground under Art. 21 has been applied according to the pupil's category*
item 3 for a gifted pupil, item 4 for a pupil with СОП, in force from the 2026-2027 school year
When subjects are dropped for a pupil with СОП: the team's recommendation is reasoned and the parent's informed consent is in place*
Art. 21, item 2 in the 2026 wording
* Mandatory documents
Working with an outdated version
Some publicly available copies of the ordinance still reproduce the version up to State Gazette No. 73 of 2023 and do not contain the new item 4 of Art. 21.
Before relying on it in an opinion, a complaint or an administrative act, check the current consolidated version as of the date of approval of the relevant curriculum. The amendment in State Gazette No. 38 of 2026 applies from the 2026-2027 school year, which means that for curricula approved for earlier school years the old version of Art. 21 remains relevant.
For wider context on the regulatory framework of school education, see also our analysis of Ordinance No. 10 on the organisation of activities in school education, which regulates the procedure for developing the individual curriculum in an individual form of study.
This material is for information purposes and is not legal advice on a specific case. The legal quotations have been checked against the official publications in the State Gazette (Държавен вестник) as of 29 July 2026.
⚠️ Important
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