Parents of children from the private school “Kosmos” called for more responsible reporting of information related to children

Republished from the Boulevard Bulgaria website (in Bulgarian).

Parents of children from the private school “Kosmos” called for more responsible public reporting of information when institutions related to children are involved. They distributed a petition (in Bulgarian) in which they note that suggestions and associations made through statements and publications in national media create the impression of a connection between a serious criminal event and a specific children’s educational institution, without confirmed facts being presented.

“As parents whose children study at this school, we are directly affected by such public insinuations, as they have an immediate impact on our children, our families, and the school community,” the parents’ statement says.

They note that:

• The school is licensed and operates according to the established educational standards of the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as the international educational system Cambridge International;
• No classes related to spiritual, religious, or other non-standard practices are conducted in the educational process;
• No activities, trainings, camps, excursions, or any form of cooperation have been organized or offered to us with people, organizations, or structures that are part of the cases under consideration;

“Our parental experience does not in any way confirm the insinuations made in part of the public statements and publications. Freedom of speech and the right to information are fundamental democratic values. Precisely for this reason, we believe that when children and educational institutions are addressed in public discourse, the standard for accuracy, verification, and responsibility should be particularly high,”

the parents’ position states.

They call for more responsible coverage of such topics and a clear distinction between established facts and assumptions in public discourse, as well as restraint from involving children’s and educational institutions in the context of serious criminal cases when there is no proven connection.

“This petition expresses the position of parents who are directly affected by public insinuations and who insist on responsibility when speaking about children, education, and schools,” the parents also state.

The petition was initiated by the Public Council of the Private Secondary School “Kosmos” and supported by parents of students at the school. Earlier, the Commission for Journalistic Ethics also criticized the way “arbitrary insinuations” were being made in the media while official information on the case was still pending.

The Private Secondary School “Kosmos” was mentioned by media and politicians in connection with the “Petrohan” case due to an alleged but unconfirmed partnership with an adventure school — “Rouk” — registered by one of the victims, the lodge owner Ivaylo Kalushev. Among those who made insinuations regarding the school, which later proved to be untrue, was the ITN leader Slavi Trifonov.

You can sign the petition here.