Kunino, Bulgaria: With the first dig and press conference, the renovation and modernization of the Stoneworking Professional High School were launched.
The first dig to repair the high school was made by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Marina Vasileva; Chief Secretary of the Ministry, Todor Keranov; Project Head Hristo Chorbadzhiyski; Director of the High School, Hristo Dimitrov; District Manager of Vratsa Georgi Mitov and Chairman of the Public Council of the High School Todor Kondev. The ceremony was attended by teachers, students, parents and many other guests.
“The High School in the Vratsa region provides vocational education in the field of stonework and is the only one in the Balkans and one of two such educational institutions in Europe,” the deputy said during the event. – Minister of Culture Marina Vasileva. The school admits students from 8th grade. They study the protected profession “Stoner” with specialities in Stonework and “Ornamental Rock Cladding”.
Essential to fulfilling the specific functions of the school is renovating and upgrading the main building and converting the existing building into a multi-purpose hall.
Project activities include energy efficiency measures, renovation of the learning building, construction of an accessible environment for disabled people, conversion of an existing former canteen into a multifunctional sports and event hall, beautification of the adjacent courtyard spaces and sports ground and construction of a modular household wastewater treatment facility, explained Hristo Chorbadzhiyski, project manager.
The director of the Stoneworking Vocational High School in Kunino, Hristo Dimitrov, thanked the Ministry of Culture for the opportunity to modernize the school with European funds under the Operational Program “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020. “As a former high school student, I am happy that we will make a good foundation for learning for students,” he said.
School Public Board Chairman Todor Kondev is happy to start the project as it will provide a better quality of education in a modern environment. He says stoneworking specialities provide good craftsmanship and are highly sought after by the business, providing high-paying work and opportunities for development.
The project will help improve access to quality education for small-scale children, aiming to send as many children as possible and limit early school leaving.
Implementation of the project is expected to boost the interest in the education of young people from the Vratsa region, as well as attract new students from other parts of the region and the country, including from vulnerable and marginalized communities.
The construction of facilities for access to people with disabilities will facilitate their integration into the education sphere and help for better social inclusion and the realization of the labour market as highly valued and limited in its distribution speciality.
The project proposal contributes to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region by promoting cultural development and better education.