2. ‘HRISTO BOTEV’ SPBS, VILLAGE OF VARNENTSI, SILISTRA PROVINCE 2.1. Physical Environment and Equipment At the time of the NPM visit to the ‘Hristo Botev’ Social and Pedagogical Boarding School in the village of Varnentsi, there were forty-five boys on the school’s roster. One of them was an escapee and another one had failed to return on time after home leave. The ‘Hristo Botev’ SPBS in the village of Varnentsi is housed across two main buildings. The first building houses the sleeping and living quarters, the kitchen, and the refectory, and the other one houses the classrooms and the school administration. There are sleeping dormitories in the classroom building too. They are used in winter with a view to ensuring efficient and cost effective heating. The school has an enclosed spacious yard with a multifunctional sports ground. The NPM observed some improvement in the physical environment. New shower rooms and toilets had been built, the children’s beds and closets had been replaced, new chairs and dining tables had been procured. The roofs of both buildings are in need of repair. Children's clothes are laundered and dried in a commercial laundromat donated by sponsors. There are CCTV cameras installed in the corridors, but there are no outdoor security arrangements. As regards food, the NPM team did not receive any complaints about its quantity or quality. As was evident from the weekly menus, the calorific value of the food was sufficient and the children were provided an adequate intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and dairy products. 2.2. Education and Training In the academic year 2015/2016, the ‘Hristo Botev’ SPBS in the village of Varnentsi provides educational service to its inmates from grade 1 through grade 8. The school formed composite classes with pupils from grade level 1 through grade level 4 because of an insufficient number of students. Professional education and training was provided for students from grade levels 7 and 8. The school has a computer room and internet access. The computers were used in the presence of a school supervisor. Judging from own observations and from interviews with children, the NPM concluded that the inmate students were uninterested in learning. The NPM gave a positive assessment of the children’s active involvement in various extracurricular activities, such as fishing and swimming. The children were mostly interested in sports, such as football (soccer), table tennis, and basketball and eagerly played them. There is a student council at the ‘Hristo Botev’ SPBS whose members will assist in the smooth running of both the education process and the extracurricular activities. A specialist resource teacher assists in the schooling of children with special educational needs. 2.3. Medical Care The boarding school has a health room. It was not fully equipped as per the requirements of MoH Ordinance No. 3 of 27 April 2000 on health rooms in childcare facilities and schools. Medications for emergency assistance were kept in a wooden cabinet. The health room was staffed by an assistant medical officer who at the time of the inspection was off work on sick leave. The assistant medical officer was tasked with organizing the provision of medical services to the pupils. A report had been drawn up on illnesses and abnormalities identified during the preventive health screening assessment of the students performed in the time period between 54