The Educational System in Romania

1. The Educational System in Romania Main Characteristics:

2. Introduction Since the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the Romanian educational system has been in a continuous process of reformation that has been both praised and criticised. • The aim of the educational system is to achieve the free and harmonious development of the individual, with a view to effectivelyintegrate the person into the society. • The Romanian education is based on the values of democracy, cultural diversity, individual and social goals and aspirations, thus contributing to the preservation of the national identity in the context of the European values.

3. The public pre-university education is part of the local decentralized public services and is subordinated to the Ministry of Education through the County School Inspectorates. The County School Inspectorates ensure at the local level observance of the legislation and evaluation of the educational system and process as well as implementation of the educational policy established by the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports.

4. The Pre-University School System in Romania Age Levels of the pre-university system of schools in Romania Early education Nursery (0-1/1-2/2-3year olds) Preschool education (3-4 /4-5 /5-6 year olds) Primary education Preparatory class 6-7 Class 1 (7-8 year olds) Class 2 (8-9 year olds) Class 3 (9-10 year olds) Class 4 (10-11 year olds) Transition from primary education to secondary education is only conditioned by the promotion of the first four grades. .

5. Secondary education Lower secondary education : classes 5-9 Uppersecondary education: classes 10-12(13) Tertiary education non-university education, which is sometimes regarded as belonging to the high education syste(1-3 classes). Comparing the structure of Romanian secondary education with educational levels stipulated by ISCED (The International Standard Classification of Education), we can notice it is shared by both education systems in France and the UK, as it will be shown below.

6. Higher Education • Higher education is aligned onto European Higher education area. • Post secondary non-tertiary education, including post-high school colleges; • Tertiary (higher) education, including university and post-university education; • Lifelong learning, education and training.

7. The Higher Education To be more specific, the higher education has the following 4 components: Bachelor (licenta)- 3 years in most disciplines (as of 2005) Master (masterat)- 2 years in most disciplines (as of 2008) Doctorate (doctorat)- at least 3 years Lifelong learning (formare continua), which includes postgraduate education occurring outside the Master/Doctorate framework

8. Lower secondary education is to be finalised with a NationalExam of Evaluationconsisting of 2(3) written examinations on the following subjects: Romanian language, mother tongue (as the case may be) and mathematics. The admission into the 9th grade is based on a process of selection and repartition. The students are admitted by taking into account the "admission average mark“ and their options regarding the high schools they intend to attend. Graduation Exams

9. Graduation Exams • High School education is finalised with the national Baccalaureate Exam and, as the case may be, with a professional competences certification/attestation exam.

10. Financial arrangements • According to the in-force legislation, all the public schools buildings are the property of the local public domains and public pre-university education is financed from the local budgets (town, commune; county – only for special education). • However, certain costs are supported from the state-budget through the County School Inspectorates budgets.

11. School Management • Management of pre-university educational units is ensured by heads of schools (headmasters) assisted, according to the concrete conditions and the provisions of the law, by deputy heads of schools (deputy headmasters). • When exercising their managerial duties, the heads of schools rely on the teachers' council and the administrative council. • Organisation and functioning of these bodies, as well as the specific attributions of the heads of schools and of the deputy heads of schools are established through the Education Law (Law 1/2011), the Teaching Staff Statute (Law 128/1997) and the Organising and Functioning of the Pre-University Educational Units Regulation (Order of the Minister of Education and Research 4747/2001).

12. Education can be provided in the following forms: day-classes, evening-classes, part-time education, multiple-grades classes, distance learning and home schooling for certain children with special educational needs that can not be moved. As a rule, compulsory education is organized in day-classes.

13. Diplomas • The system gives the following diplomas: - The diploma of lower secondary school graduation, • the diploma of Baccalaureate (high school graduation, after the graduation exam) • Bachelor’s Degree Diploma (University graduation, after an exam and/or thesis) • Master’s Degree diploma (after a thesis and possibly an exam) • Doctorate Diploma ( Ph. D., after a thesis).

14. Uniforms • Uniforms are a local issue. Few high schools have uniforms, and in the case they do, they are particularly used for special occasions such as festivities, conferences, sporting contests, etc. Many high schools have their own radio stations, monthly or biannual magazines, etc.

15. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN ROMANIA Material made by : Cristina Rotaru- teacher of english & Anca Barbulescu- teacher of physics “Tudor Arghezi” High School