EDUCATION IN ROMANIA

EDUCATION IN ROMANIA

COLEGIUL ENERGETIC RMNICU VLCEA, ROMANIA

COMENIUS MULTILATERAL PARTNERSHIPA STATISTIC ANS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON BIODIVERSITY

Education in Romania Education is enforced by the Ministry of Education and Research. Each step has its own form of organization with different laws and directives. Kindergarten is optional under the age of six. At the age of six, children must join the "preparatory school year", which is mandatory in order to enter the first grade. School starts at the age of seven, and is compulsory until the tenth grade (which corresponds with the age of sixteen or seventeen). The school educational cycle ends in the twelfth grade, when students graduate the baccalaureate. Higher education is aligned to the European Higher Education Area.

KINGERGARTENChildren can start as early as three years old and can stay until they are six or seven years old. Kindergarten is optional and typically lasts for 3 or 4 forms - "Small Group" (Grupa Mic) for children aged 34, "Middle Group" (Grupa Mijlocie), for children aged 45, "Big Group" (Grupa Mare) for children aged 56 and "School Preparation Class" (Pregtire pentru coal) for children aged 67. The preparation class became compulsory, and is a requirement in order to enter primary school.[4]Services include initiation in foreign languages (typically English, French or German), introduction in computer studies, dancing, swimming etc. All kindergartens will provide at least one meal or one snack, some having their own kitchens and their own cooks, others opting for dedicated catering services. Many kindergartens (especially private venues) will provide children with transportation to and from the kindergarten. Groups typically have 1-2 teachers (educatori) and 10-15 children (typically more in state kindergartens).

KINGERGARTENMost kindergartens offer parents three types of programs, in order to better suit the parents' schedules - a short schedule (typically 8 am to 1 pm, with one snack or meal), a medium schedule (typically 8 am to 3 pm, with one snack and one meal) and a long schedule (typically 8 am to 56 pm, with three snacks and one meal, and almost always including after lunch sleeping periods).The private sector has a very large role in providing kindergarten and day care services, having a large proportion in the market share for preschool education. Typical tuition fees for private kindergarten range between 100 and 400 Euro monthly, depending on the town/city where the institution is located and on the services offered, whereas for public kindergarten there is no tuition fee (some may, however, charge for meals and/or transportation).

Elementary school

Elementary school lasts eight years in Romania. Most elementary schools are public; MEC statistics show less than 2 percent of elementary school students attend private school. Unless parents choose a school earlier, the future student is automatically enrolled in the school nearest to his or her residence. Education is free in public schools (including some books and auxiliary materials), but not entirely (some textbooks, notebooks, pencils and uniforms might be required to be purchased).School starts in the middle of September and ends in the middle of June the following year. It is divided into two semesters (September to December and January to June). There are four holiday seasons (Christmas 3 weeks in December-January; Spring (previously Easter) in April - 2 weeks; and Summer, spanning from the middle of June to September 15), with an additional free week in November for students in the first 4 years. Additionally, during the week before the Spring holiday, special activities (e.g. trips; contests) replace classes.

Grading conventions

For the first four years a system similar to E-S-N-U is used, known as calificative. These are Foarte bine (FB) Excellent, Bine (B) Good, Satisfctor/Suficient (S) Satisfactory, actually meaning (barely) passing, Nesatisfctor/Insuficient (N/I) Failed. 'Qualifiers' (calificative) are given throughout the year, in a system of year-long assessment, on tests, schoolwork, homework or projects. The average for a subject (that will go in the mark register) is calculated by the teacher taking into account the progress of the student and by using a 1-4 value for each qualifier (for example, if a student has FB, FB, B, B in Mathematics, then the mark will be (4+4+3+3) /4=3.5, therefore B taking into account that the performance of the student has lowered over time a B, B, FB, FB will also be 3.5 but will be marked as FB because the performance has improved over time). There is no average calculated for the whole year, but only per subject per semester.

Grading conventions

For grade 5 to 12, a 1 to 10 grading system is used with 10 being the best, 1 being the worst and 5 being the minimum passing grade. The system of continuous assessment is also used, with individual marks for each test, oral examination, project, homework or classwork being entered in the register (these individual marks are known as note). Some subjects also require a partial examination at the end of the semester (teza). This requirement is however regulated by the Ministry as mandatory and cannot be changed. The partial is valued at 25% of the final mark, and for grades 5 to 8 it applies to Romanian Language and Mathematics and only in the eight year, Geography or History, and in the case of a bilingual school or one with teaching in a minority language, that particular language. At the end of each semester, an average is computed following a four-step procedure: First, all marks are added and an arithmetical average is computed from those marks. If there is a teza, this average, with 0.01 precision, is multiplied by 3, the mark at the "teza" (rounded to the nearest integer) is added, then everything is divided by 4. This average (with or without teza) is then rounded to the closest integer (5/4 system thus 9.5 is 10) and forms the Semester Average per Subject. The next step is computing the Yearly Average per Subject. This is done by adding the two Semester Averages per Subject and divided by 2. This is not rounded. The last step is adding all the Yearly Averages per Subject and dividing that amount by the total number of subjects. This forms the Yearly Grade Average (Media Generala). This is neither weighted nor rounded. If the Yearly Average per Subject is below 5 for a maximum of two subjects, then the student must take a special exam (corigen) at the failed subject in August, in front of a school board. If he fails this exam, he must repeat the entire year (repetenie)

ExampleExample: A student in the 7th year with 4 weekly classes of math may have the following marks: 6,6,7,7 in class and 5 in teza. His Semester Average for Math is round((3*((6+6+7+7)/4)+5)/4)=6. If he had 7 in the other semester, his Annual Average for Math is 6.5 (and he passes).

Primary school

The first four years are taught by a single teacher (nvtor) for the most subjects. Additional teachers are assigned only for a few specialized subjects (Foreign Languages, Introduction to Computers, etc.). At the end of primary school, curriculum starts to become congested and it led over time to the high performance[citation needed] educational system we known today. For instance, a 4th grade student (910 years of age) may have on a weekly basis4 classes of math4-5 classes of Romanian Language1 class of history1 class of geography1-2 classes of science2 classes of art1-3 classes of a foreign language (Usually French, English or German)1 or 2 classes of Introduction to computers**1 class of Civic Education (a subject teaching everything from personal hygiene to the Constitution to manners in society)1 of religion* (optional; parents can withdraw children from these classes.[5] The situation is, however, fuzzy,[6] with many parent groups and associations being against teaching religion in schools.[7])1 of music2 of physical education*These subjects may or may not have teachers other than the main teacher.** These subjects almost always have teachers other than the main teacher.

Gymnasium

Classes are reshaped at the end of the 4th grade, based on academic performances. Many schools have special classes (such as intensive English classes or Informatics classes, providing one or two more courses in these subjects). Selection for such classes is done based on local tests. Assessing the students' performance is also different between primary and gymnasium cycles. Starting with the 5th grade, students have a different teacher (profesor) for each subject. Furthermore, each class has a teacher designated to be class principal (diriginte), besides teaching his or hers usual subject. Additional counseling may be provided by a special counselor (consilier pe probleme de educaie counselor on educational issues) or by a school psychologist.

Gymnasium

An 8th grade schedule may contain up to 3032 hours weekly, or 6 hours daily, thus making it quite intensive, for instance:4 classes of math4 classes of Romanian language2 classes of history2 classes of geography2 classes of biology1 classes of introduction to computers4 classes of a foreign language, usually French language and English language2 classes of physics2 classes of chemistry1 (only in the 8th grade) class of Latin1 class of art and music1 class of religion (optional; same situation like in Primary School regarding teachers.)1 (only in the 7th and 8th grade) class of civic education1 class of technology2 (1 in the 8th grade) classes of physical educationIn addition schools may add 1 or 2 subjects at their free choice. This possibility gave rise to Intensive English Classes or Informatics Groups, accessible only by special exams in the 5th grade.

High schools

Admission to high schoolAt the end of the 8th year of school (at age 14 or 15) a nation-wide test is taken by all students. Starting with 2004, this examination is called Testarea Naional (The National Test) and can be taken only once, in June. The subjects are Romanian Language and Literature and Mathematics(and additionally the language of the school for ethnic minority schools or classes and for bi-lingual schools). Many high schools provide classes with intensive study of a foreign language, such as English, French, German or Spanish; a two-part examination (Grammar/Vocabulary and Speaking) is required for them. The passing mark is 5 for each of the exams. If the student passes, he is allowed to enrol in a high school; should he fail, he will have to join a School of Crafts and Trades for two years. The finishing grade (also known as the admission grade) is computed as an average, taking into account for 50% an average of all the Yearly General Averages starting with year 5 and for the rest of 50% the mark obtained at the National Test (1-10, 10 being the highest, not rounded, precision 0.01). Despite the exams not being published, the marks are public, lists being placed both in schools and on the Internet.In order to enroll in a high school, the student must choose a list of high schools he or she desires to attend (there is no automatic enrolment this time), based on his mark and options by filling in a nation-wide form. A national computer system does the repartition, by taking into account students in the order of their preferences and their "admission grade". Thus, somebody with an 9.85 average (this is a top 5% mark) will certainly enter the high school he or she desires, while somebody with 5.50 has almost no chance to attend a top ranked high school. However, based on this system, the last admission averages for some prestigious high schools are over 9.50 or 9.60.

Types of Romanian high schools

There are five types of high schools in Romania allowing access to university, based on the type of education offered and their academic performance. All of these allow for a high school diploma, access to the Bacalaureat exam and therefore access to University studies. High school enrolment is conditioned on passing the National Test and participating in the National Computerized Repartition.High school studies are four years in length, two compulsory (9th and 10th year), two non-compulsory (11th and 12th year). There are no exams between the 10th and the 11 years. There is also a lower frequency program taking 5 years for those wishing to attend high school after abandoning at an earlier age.National College (Colegiu Naional) Military College (Colegiu Militar) there are 3 high schools administered by the Ministry of National Defense. They are considered extremely strict and legally they have the same regime as army units, being considered military installations with all students being members of the army and abiding army rules and regulations, including lights out at 10 o'clock. The Military Colleges are Colegiul Militar Liceal Mihai Viteazu in Alba Iulia, Colegiul Militar Liceal tefan cel Mare in Cmpulung Moldovenesc and Colegiul Militar Liceal Dimitrie Cantemir in Breaza.Economic College or Technical College (Colegiu Economic or Colegiu Tehnic) COLEGIUL ENERGETICLiceu (Standard High school)

Types of Romanian high schoolsEach type of high-school is free to offer one or more academic programs (profile). These are:Theoretical programScience Profil Real ("mathematics and computer programming" or "earth studies") this is the most demanding of all the academic programs, and the most sought-after as it offers the best chance[citation needed] for university admission, teaching as it does most of the subjects needed for admission. There are 15 different subjects per year, with 3035 hours weekly: e.g. Latin is compulsory for a year, Math for 4 years (47 hours/week Calculus, Trigonometry and Algebra), Computer Programming (4 hours weekly 4 years), two modern languages, such as English for 26 hours/week and French for 2 hours/week, also 4 years, Literature 3 hours/week 4 years, Geography, History, Chemistry, Physics (all of these 4 years, 12 hours weekly each), Economics, Philosophy, Logic, Psychology (1 year each 4 years) etc. This will give an " Computer Programmer" qualification. Besides being the hardest, this is the most common program, as it is the most sought after.Humanities Profil Uman ("social studies" or "languages") 3 or 4 modern languages, 4 years of Latin or Ancient Greek, literature (both Romanian and foreign), two years of each of the studied social sciences, more history and geography than in the case of real studies, but almost no mathematics, chemistry, physics or biology. This program still demands over 3035 hours weekly but will give no work qualification, with the exception of bilingual colleges, which offer a translator qualification. Classes specialized in Humanities sometimes provide intensive study of a foreign language (at least 5 hours per week), along with the study of the literature, history and geography of the respective country.Technical programs Profil tehnic will give a qualification in a technical field such as electrician, industrial machine operator, train driver and mechanic etc. A lot of subjects are technically based (e.g. Calibration of Technical Measurement Machines, Locomotive Mechanics), with some math, physics and chemistry and almost no humanities.Vocational programs Profil vocaional will give a qualification in a non-technical field, such as kindergarten educator, assistant architect, or pedagogue. A lot of subjects are based on humanities, with specifics based on qualification (such as Teaching) and almost no math, physics or chemistry. Art, music and design high schools are grouped here. High schools belonging to religious cults are also included. Usually, admission in these high schools is done by a special exam besides the National Tests in music or art.Services and Economics programs Profil economic will give a qualification in the fields of services, such as waiter, chef, tourism operator. Offering a quite balanced program, similar to the real studies in the theoretical program, but a bit lighter, and giving a valuable qualification, this program is very sought after (being second only to the real program).

Students' life in Romanian high schools

All the rules and regulations of elementary school apply here. Uniforms are a local issue, according with each school's policies. Few high schools have uniforms, and in case they do, these are only used on special occasions (such as festivities, conferences, sporting contests etc.). Many high schools have their own radio stations, monthly or biannual magazines etc.Unlike the elementary school, there are no clear guidelines for marking. That means that typically grade averages are not comparable betweens schools or even between different teachers in the same school. The communication between students and teachers is minimal. Usually students have no decision-making powers in the running of their high school, and school councils are rare. All administrative decisions are taken by one of the principals (Director). Usually, each high school has at least two principals.

The Baccalaureate exam

High school students graduating from a College, Liceu or Grup colar must take the National Baccalaureate Exam (Examenul Naional de Bacalaureat colloquially known as the bac). The Bacalaureat comprises 2 or 3 oral examinations and 4 or 5 written examinations, usually spanning on the course of one and a half weeks in late June and September. It is a highly centralized, national exam. Usually the exam papers are taken to a centralized marking facility, sometimes even in another city, under police guard (for example in 2001 all the exams from Braov were sent to Brila for marking). The 6 exams are:Exam A/1 (Proba A/1) Romanian Language and Literature (Oral Examination) Exam C/1 (Proba C/1) Exam B (Proba B) A foreign language (Oral Examination) Exam A/2 (Proba A/2) Romanian Language and Literature (Written Examination) Exam C/2 (Proba C/2) The language of study in a school where the teaching is done in a language other than Romanian (usually the language of an ethnic group) written examination organized exactly like Exam A/2.Exam D (Proba D) Compulsory subject depending on the academic program followed in high school (Written Examination) Exam E (Proba E) Subject at the choice of the candidate from the domains considered as the main part of the Academic Program followed in high school (Written Examination) Exam F (Proba F) Subject at the choice of the candidate from a lesser domain of the academic program followed in high school (Written or Practical Examination) The Baccalaureate is a requirement when enrolling in a university, because, technically, without passing it, the student is not a high school graduate, but, usually it counts for almost nothing in the admission scores (in most universities, 0-20% is the norm). In the best possible situation, it makes up half of the total university admission score, but only in the most undesired departments of the small, backwater universities. Higher education

Higher education in Romania is less centralized than in many countries in the West, with every university having its own internal policies regarding admission, exams and conditions for graduation. With historically established universities in major cities such as Iai, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timioara, Trgu Mure, Craiova, Romania's higher education institutions form a much looser network than in other European countries, albeit offering most of the qualifications sought after by today's high-school graduates.Romanian universities have historically been classified among the best in Eastern Europe and have attracted international students, especially in the fields of medicine and technology. However, its system of higher education has suffered both from a lack of qualified professors and from no government initiative to support and expand the network of universities. Romania also has a private system of higher education, with private universities operating in the larger cities. The first modern Romanian universities are:University of Iai (1860)University of Bucharest (1864)University of Cluj (1919)AdmissionThe admission process is left to the Universities, and, as of 2007, there is no integrated admission scheme. Most universities will give an "admission exam" in a high-school subject that corresponds best to the training offered by the university. Some, however, due to the lack of relevance of the system have begun implementing a different scheme, based on essays, interviews and performance assessments. This was done because in most cases tests, especially multiple choice ones, offered just a superficial assessment and a limited outlook of the students' actual performance.

DisclaimerThis publication reflects the views only of the author, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any information presented here.