New changes in the Romanian education system
The next school year will be completely different from the previous ones.
Daniela Budu, 31.05.2022, 13:50
After the structure of the school year has been completely modified, Romanian students and teachers are now faced with thorough changes in the education system itself, concerning the pre-university cycle. Thus, starting with the school year 2022-2023, which will start earlier than before, on September 5th, the two school semesters will be replaced by five education modules, to alternate with five school holidays. Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu has announced that there will be no more semester grades and no more compulsory term tests, while students will get only one GPA at the end of the school year. This will give teachers more autonomy in evaluating students throughout the entire school year and grades will be more relevant.
Sorin Cimpeanu: There were several working versions, we agreed on a minimum number of grades for a subject matter to be equal to n+3, where the n is the number of classes per subject matter assigned on a weekly basis. For instance, for a subject matter studied two hours per week, minimum 5 grades will be required.
Worth mentioning is also the standardised examination of students in the primary and secondary school, a digital pilot project, a first for Romanian education. Until June 10, students from 330 schools across Romania will give two tests in Romanian literature and, Math or History.
Against these major changes in the Romanian education system, the National Students Council and the Declic Community staged a protest in front of the Education Ministry offices. They wanted to draw an alarm signal over the situation in schools, where students receive unhealthy food or no food at all. Protesters have required a warm meal for all students. During a meeting with Minister Cimpeanu, he has promised them a national program for the supply of healthy food in schools, financed with 1 billion euros, that should start this year. There have been a number of such initiatives in Romania in recent years, but no effective program has been implemented. There is also a pilot project in place, which is constantly blocked in bureaucracy.
According to a study conducted by World Vision Romania, one in ten children goes to bed hungry, and two in ten children in the rural area say their family seldom or never provides them with enough food. Moreover, more than 1 in 3 adolescents are missing school because they have to work in the household, while one in ten children do not go to school at all. (EE)
