New Bulgarian school opens doors in Spain – in the town of Fraga

published on 10/24/25 10:15 AM

Photo: escuelabulgara.weebly.com

Today, 24 October, a new Bulgarian school in Spain – in the town of Fraga in the autonomous community of Aragon - is opening doors for the start of the school year. The new school is a branch of the Seven Apostles – the only Bulgarian school in the province of Tarragona, and one of four schools in the autonomous community of Catalonia.

31 children aged 4 to 15 will be attending the school in Fraga – at the moment they do not speak Bulgarian at all. “The children are divided into two age groups. They will have the same teacher,” says Iliana Dabova, headmistress, and treacher in the Bulgarians language, literature, history and geography, in an interview with Radio Bulgaria. The classes will be on Friday afternoon because Spanish schools in Aragon have an afternoon off on Fridays.

“Fraga is a small, very scenic town with a large Bulgarian community – almost 800 people, maybe more, we don’t have accurate data. The fact that 31 families want their children to learn the Bulgarian language speaks for itself. We have found a teacher, the wonderful Mrs. Iva Sahliyska, who will travel 110 kilometres from Saragossa every Friday to teach the children. But the fact there are children who want to be taught Bulgarian is wonderful!”

What matters most when living abroad, Mrs. Dabova says, is for the children to learn the Bulgarian language, because it is the language that lies at the basis of identity. “If a child doesn’t speak Bulgarian, they will not feel they are Bulgarian, and will therefore be lost to the Bulgarian diaspora.”

Most of the children in the new Bulgarian school come from ethnic Turkish families from Bulgaria. “They are Bulgarian citizens and it is an idea the parents had a long time ago but didn’t know how to go about making it come true. And when our school suggested opening a branch they were so happy. There were people who cried and said: My child who couldn’t talk to his relations, to friends in Bulgaria, can now make an effort, learn and they will now be able to talk. I have seen it – the mother translating for the grandparents because they cannot talk to the grandchild directly. People don’t want to forget their roots they don’t want their children to forget their roots,” says Iliana Dabova.

Ms. Dabova has spared no time or effort, knowledge or funding to contribute to the preservation of the Bulgarian language, traditions and culture abroad. This is the reason why she was nominated for the prestigious Saint Zlata of Meglen Award of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad for 2024.

Mrs. Dabova has been living in Spain for 18 years and she is very proud to talk about the achievements of the school she is head of in Reus. The school was set up in 2010 as a project of Association “Bulgaria”, and is the first Sunday school in Spain to have laid the foundations of electronic and distance learning, allowing students to attend even if they are on the other side of the world.

“For many of the children it is not possible to attend in person – not because they do not want to, but because of the great distances or other things they are engaged with. Don’t forget, that here in Catalonia we have to contend with football and that is a battle that cannot be won! We have many students who play football and we have to find a way to have them attend the school too and that is one option – distance learning.”

Text by Elena Karkalanova
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: escuelabulgara.weebly.com, Facebook /Iliana Ilieva-Dabova

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New Bulgarian school opens doors in Spain – in the town of Fraga

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