The Teacher Training Institute in Burgas: А Time-Honoured Productive Tradition

Abstract

The opening of the Teacher Training Institute in Burgas in 1943 as the first post secondary educational institution was logical and decisive for the prospects and future trends in education on a regional scale. During its 57 years of existence, Hristo Botev Teacher Training Institute became a centre for training, qualification and retraining of teachers, a cultural and educational hub. Its history was traced using archival sources, published memories and personal documents that have been put in scientific circulation for the first time. For the purpose of analysis, the historical and pedagogical approach, cultural and historical retrospection, and historical comparative analysis have been applied. The collected facts and their scientific interpretation lead to the conclusion that, chronologically, the Teacher Training Institute was the first step towards making Burgas a university city. Its establishment marked the beginning of a tradition that today allows us to talk about Burgas as the training centre for pedagogical staff in Southeastern Bulgaria