The IMU adhering organization for Bulgaria is the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). The BAS is the leading scientific, spiritual and expert center of Bulgaria. It conducts research, training and activities of national and international importance and solves problems related to the development of Bulgarian society and state. The Academy has a consistent policy for the development of science and innovation as a condition for economic progress in the country. It is an active participant in the European Research Area. BAS comprises 42 autonomous scientific units and is an organization governed in accordance with democratic principles. The Academy employs about 3,000 scientists, accounting for about 15% of those engaged with science in Bulgaria. BAS produces about half of the scientific output in the country.
Nominations of the ICMI CR are submitted by the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics (IMI) and approved by the President of BAS. The IMI is BAS’s only institute in the area of mathematics and one of the country’s leaders in the domains of informatics and computer science. The Institute’s mission is the development of mathematics and informatics through research and the application of mathematics and informatics in the national education programs and processes at all levels.
There is not a separate association for mathematics education in Bulgaria. This role is performed by the Union of Bulgarian Mathematicians (UBM), one of the goals of which is to develop mathematical education. Thus, the UBM also includes people working in mathematics education.
One of the main scientific institutions for mathematics education research is the above-mentioned Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Other research institutions in this field are the departments of mathematics education at six of the Bulgarian universities.
The scientific journal for mathematics education research is called “Mathematics and Informatics”. For 2024 its impact factor is 0.3. There are two other journals “Matamatika” and “Matematika plus" published in Bulgarian. They are intended primarily for school students and teachers but everyone interested in mathematics education can also find useful materials there.
Primary school teachers teach all subjects and have a Bachelor’s Degree from a department for primary education in a faculty of pedagogy, at the universities. During their study they have a course of mathematics, delivered by a mathematician (mathematics educator).
Both lower and upper secondary school teachers in mathematics have a Bachelor’s Degree in "Pedagogy of teaching (mathematics)" from the departments for mathematics education in the faculties of mathematics at universities. Usually, secondary school mathematics teachers are trained to teach an additional subject, most often computer science.
The intended curriculum in mathematics for Bulgaria is centralized. It is determined by the Ministry of Education and Science. Mathematics standards and syllabuses are available in Bulgarian on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science.
Mathematics is a compulsory subject from grade 1 to the end of secondary education. The Content Educational Standards for mathematics were approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. These standards focus on what students are expected to know and be able to do at the end of each level of schooling (primary schools, lower secondary schools, and secondary schools). Mathematics syllabuses were also developed for each grade. They describe the mathematics topics that students have to study at each grade and the skills that they have to acquire.