Study of Islam during the next academic year

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SOFIA, 13 July 2001 - Islam will be taught during the new academic year in several Sofia schools for two hours weekly to children between the second and fifth grade as a compulsory elective subject, reports the Trud daily. The minimum number of children in one class is set to 18.

In the last academic year Islam was taught at the 162-nd primary school in the Sofia suburb of Botunetz as a free elective subject. According to the school principal, approximately 80 per cent of the schools' students profess Islam. The programme was financed by the Chief Mufti's office.

According to a December 2000 Ministry of Education instruction on the experimental study of Islam in optional religious classes, instruction in this religion is to be conducted in Bulgarian and financed by the Chief Mufti's Office. Instruction in the Orthodox religion in Bulgaria is financed by the state.

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