Balkans
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Bulgaria: Under Repair
SOFIA | During this summer, repair works were intense at the Second English Language high school in Sofia, as in most Bulgarian schools during the summer holidays. However, replacing window […]
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Romania: Diploma Factory
BUCHAREST | When Spiru Haret University, Romania’s largest private higher education institute, requested the certification of an unprecedented number of diplomas, it set off alarm bells in the ministry of […]
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Teaching One History, Living Another
As we look at how life has changed – or stayed the same – over the past 20 years, TOL correspondents in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and […]
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Montenegro: Reality Check
PODGORICA | As recently as 2003, eighth graders in Montenegro were being taught about a powerful international conspiracy aimed at destroying their newly independent country and its people.
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Romania: Testing Times for Students
BUCHAREST | Since last September, 14-year-old Andreea Balan has been diligently preparing for the six standardized exams – three per semester – that will largely determine her academic future. Her […]
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Romania: Do Not Disturb
BUCHAREST | High school junior Alexandru Marinescu likes history so much that he decided years ago to include it on his baccalaureate exams next summer. But weeks ago he learned […]
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Macedonia: Giving Education the Runaround
SKOPJE, Macedonia | As Macedonia entered local and presidential election campaigns in mid-March, education was yet again among the government’s lowest priorities. Beyond generic promises to improve education infrastructure and […]
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Romania: A Doctor in the Family
CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania | Watching an older brother slowly recover from a serious car crash a few years ago, Alina Calin, then a teenager, gradually realized she wanted nothing more than […]
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Bulgaria: Education on Strike, Education at Stake
SOFIA, Bulgaria | Many high school students were in the front lines of the January protests in Sofia, when a peaceful rally against government corruption and the slow pace of […]
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Turkey: A Revolution Long in the Making
ISTANBUL, Turkey – At first glance, the Capa primary school in central Istanbul looks like any typical state school. But, beyond appearances, its teachers and students are in the vanguard […]
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