Bulgaria's Education Minister Daniel Vulchev presented the ministry's concept for protected schools in remote areas at a regular session of Parliament's Education and Science Committee, Focus news agency reported on January 30.

A school will be given protected status if it is located 20km away from the nearest settlement and at least 10 children study in it, according to the ministry's proposal.

Such schools would be protected from being closed down by either local authorities, or the Education Ministry itself, although the list would be updated every year to reflect any demographic changes.

Vulchev estimated the number of schools that would qualify for protected status at 200 at the start of the next academic year in September, which would need additional funding from the state budget.

The proposal is part of the ongoing re-organisation of the education sector in Bulgaria, as the ministry looks to cut costs and make the sector more efficient.