School Education in the Bulgarian Colonies of Bessarabia in the 1840s: Regulatory and Legal Framework

Abstract

The article analyzes the regulatory and legal basis of school education in the Bulgarian colonies of Bessarabia during the 1840s. Based on the “Instructions on the Main Rules for Rural Schools in Colonies” issued in 1842, it examines the specific organization of the educational process, the role of local communities in school administration, and the use of the mutual instruction method (Lancaster method). Although schools were established by imperial authorities, their operation largely depended on the involvement of the colonial administration. Teachers were selected by the community, and their moral authority and pedagogical skills were essential. The applied methods aimed to form a locally educated elite capable of contributing to the administrative and economic development of the colonies. Education was free, accessible to all children, and combined literacy with moral and religious formation. The involvement of the Orthodox Church and the use of local languages to attract parents are also emphasized. The article concludes that this educational model contributed to the integration of foreign colonists into the empire while preserving local identity. However, limitations remained, such as lack of access to secondary and higher education and the dominance of the Russian language.