Romanian education, where to?

This years baccalaureate examination registered the best results in the past 8 years, with a passing rate of 73%, 5% higher than in 2016.

Corina Cristea, 11.07.2017, 12:46

Until 10-15 years ago, Romania’s main competitive advantage was its skilled and cheap labor force. In the past years, however, the situation has changed, and this advantage disappeared along with the dismantling of vocational education. It was a mistake that should be fixed as soon as possible, because it’s neither the political nor the economic factors that hamper development, it’s the lack of skilled employees. These are some of the ideas highlighted recently at a debate attended by representatives of employers’ associations and authorities. According to people with expertise in the field, dual vocational education, which allows graduates to enter the labor market while still continuing their formal training, is the main factor that could help reindustrialize Romania.

According to specialists, the first question that potential investors ask is about the possibility to have some of their employees enrolled in the dual education system. Also, besides this dual system, the apprenticeship and internship laws, which have been adopted this year, are another two engines that can stimulate this process of reindustrialization. A law on dual education in Romania has been drafted and endorsed by the two chambers of parliament and then sent for promulgation to Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis. The latter, however, decided to send the bill back for reexamination, because as it is today it would trigger negative effects with regard to the quality of education.

Klaus Iohannis believes that the fact that companies involved in professional training are no longer required to be licensed or authorized would limit the positive impact of dual education. Moreover, according to the president, some changes in the law will reduce these schools’ autonomy. His decision was hailed by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, which called on all parliamentary parties to urgently reexamine the bill. According to the liberal first vice-president Raluca Turcan, dual education is the optimum solution to the lack of skilled labor force and vocational schools that companies complain about. On the other hand, the government wants the strategy for the stimulation of dual education to go under public debate by September 1st, and have the system ready for implementation during the 2018-2019 school year.

(Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)