THE ROMANIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM General presentation The Romanian educational system strives to provide its citizens with

the knowledge they need to succeed when they embark on their careers, whether in Romania or abroad. The structure of the education system is set up to teach skills and knowledge on many different levels and to challenge those enrolled in Romanian schools.Romania News

The Romanian educational system consists of four levels of studies. These levels are kindergarten, primary, secondary and higher education. As per the educational guidelines as set forth by the Ministry of Education and Research, kindergarten is optional for children aged three to six. Formal schooling, also called primary school, begins when the child is age six or seven. This level of education (transitioning to secondary schooling) is obligatory until the tenth grade. The next phase of schooling is higher education and is also an optional phase of education. The subjects of study include standard subjects such as Math and History but the school system also includes English as part of its curriculum in addition to religion and computers, even at a basic level. In addition to the formal system of education there is the much more informal practice of the private tutoring system. While an integral piece of the educational system this system remains optional. Most tutoring is private and done outside of the formal education system. Typically, it is offered to secondary students who wish to be optimally prepared for various scholastic examinations. Kindergarten The kindergarten level is an optional one and is available for children as young as three years old until they reach six or seven years old. The level is divided either into three or four sub-levels. The first level, called small group is for younger children aged three to four years old. The second level or middle group is for children aged four to five, the third level is called big group for children aged five to six. The last level for kindergarten is called School Preparation Class. This level, however, is not offered in all kindergartens. Kindergarten classes include optional foreign language teaching (usually German or English) and lessons in dancing, swimming and other physical exercises. All kindergarten schools provide at least one snack or meal for their students. Some kindergartens have their own kitchens with cooks preparing the meals. Other kindergartens, on the other hand, employ catering services. Private kindergartens also have their own private transportation or school bus. There are usually one or two teachers and around 10 to 15 children per class. Kindergarten Schedules There are basically three types of kindergarten programs that parents can choose from. There is a short schedule, which lasts for five hours, usually starting at 8 in the morning and ending at 1 in the afternoon.

This schedule usually includes one snack or one meal. The medium schedule lasts for seven hours, and typically starts at 8 in the morning and ends at 3 in the afternoon. This schedule includes a meal and a snack. Then, the third program is a long schedule which runs from 8 in the morning to 5 or 6 in the evening and includes three snacks, one meal and a nap time. Kindergarten services are provided by public and private sectors, and can vary in tuition fees. Fees are greatly dependent on the services offered, the program and the town where it is located. Most public kindergartens do not charge any tuition fees, but may charge an extra for transportation or meals. Kindergartens are not widely available in most places; and when they are, they usually have long waiting lists for parents who want to enroll their children. Children are usually placed on the waiting list for six months until they are finally admitted. This long waiting period is more obvious in public kindergartens, especially given the fact that private kindergartens charge high tuition fees. Local councils in larger cities like Bucharest have seen the increasing demand for kindergartens and daycare centers, and have invested money in order to expand existing kindergartens and build new ones as well.

Elementary or Primary School Elementary school or primary school is the first compulsory educational level in Romania, and lasts for eight years. Students usually enter primary school at the age of seven.

Enrollment The public education system works by immediately enrolling all future students into public school nearest to where the student lives - unless his or her parent chooses a different school earlier on. There are some public schools with good reputations, and they are flooded with advance demands from parents. Because of this, some of these schools hold classes in shifts, with morning shifts starting as early as 7 AM and afternoon shifts ending as late as 8 PM. Public schools offer free education, but textbooks and some school materials like pencils, notebooks and uniforms may need to be separately purchased. School Year The school year begins on the month of September and ends in June of the following year. The school year is divided into two semesters, the first one from September to January and the second one from February to June. They have four holiday seasons in between school years. Christmas break lasts two weeks in December; the Inter-Semestral break is a one week break between the first and second semester; Easter break (Orthodox or Catholic) is a week's vacation in April or May; and Summer vacation or The Great Holiday which occurs in between school years from the middle of June to the start of September.

Each elementary class can accommodate up to thirty students, but twenty five per class is considered as optimum. Some schools only have one class per grade, while some can reach as twenty per grade. Each class has its own classroom and is designated with it's own section name, usually a letter following the grade level (like VA for Section 'A' of the 5th grade.) Grading Systems Lower Levels The first four years of elementary school follows a system called the calificative. There are four grades. Foarte Bine or FB corresponds to Excellent, Bine or B for Good, Satisfacator/Suficient or S for Satisfactory (which connotes a barely passing grade) and Nesatisfctor/Insuficient or I for failed marks. Students who get I marks at the end of the school year are required to take an exam during the summer break. If a student still fails the exam, then he has to repeat the level again. Throughout the year, qualifiers or calificative are given in order to assess students by the means of tests, school work, projects and assignments. These will play a role for a student's grade or average. Grades are calculated for each subject per semester, and there is no average per year. Grading Systems Upper Levels A different grading system is used for upper elementary levels. Grades 5 to 12 use a 1 to 10 grading system, with one being the lowest grade and 10 being the highest. Like the first four levels, continuous assessment is also applied, with grades given for each individual work. Some subjects, such as Romanian Language and Maths (as well as Geography or History in the eighth year) require partial examinations right at the end of the semester. This requirement is mandatory as regulated by the Ministry. The result of the partial exam constitutes 25% of the student's final mark for a subject. During the end of the semester, a Semester Average per Subject is taken by taking an arithmetical average from all the subject marks. A Yearly Average per subject is also taken, and an average below 5 will require the student to take a special exam in August for the subject that he has failed. If he still fails the exam, then he is required to repeat the whole year level again Subjects Most subjects for the first four years are taught by just one teacher, with additional teachers assigned only for some specialized subjects (foreign languages, sports, computers). So, a student will basically have one main teacher for his first four years of school. Primary subjects include Math, Romanian Language, History, Geography, Science, Art, Itroduction to computers, Religion, Music, Physical Education and Civic Education. Upper level students (fifth grade onwards) have additional subjects and may have around thirty to thirty-two hours of class per week. Additional subjects include Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Latin and Technology. Some subjects, like Religion and Technology may now be optional. Some schools may also add one or two subjects depending on their choice.

All in all, a student should take 8 years of Romanian, Mathematics, Art and Physical education classes. Eight years of religion classes should also be taken, as well as seven to eight years of foreign language classes (usually English, German or French). Some subjects are introduced early on and are no longer taught in higher levels, while some subjects are introduced in the later levels. Subjects like Geography or History should be taken for six years, while secondary foreign language (either English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese or Russian) should be taken for three to four years. Students should also take three years of Civic education and sciences like Biology and Physics, two years of Chemistry and two years of Computer (some schools teach the subject for the whole eight years.) Elementary School Life Elementary school life greatly differs for city school students and rural school students. City schools usually have around 100 to 200 students per year. School laboratories are well stocked, and there are numerous clubs to cater to a variety of interests. City schools also employ the services of teaching assistants, psychologists and the like. There are also free classes for gifted students. Rural schools, on the other hand are usually tiny. Some smaller schools only provide four years of education. The rest are then offered in nearby villages that are larger. There is usually no transportation to an from school, and in remote villages, students even walk up to 10 kilometers just to go to school. Some schools require uniforms for the first four grades, but upper levels usually do not have school uniforms. Since school ends usually before lunch or starts right after it, then there is usually no school lunch for most schools. High Schools After the 8th grade, students are required to take the Testarea Naional or the National Test. This is a nationwide examination that can only be taken once. The subjects included in the test are Romanian Language and Literature, Geography or History and Maths. The passing grade is an average of 5 for for the three exams, and will allow the student to enroll in high school. If the student fails, he will have to enter a School of Crafts and Trades first for two years before entering high school. Enrollment Unlike elementary schools where there is an automatic enrollment, in order to enroll for high school, the student chooses the school he wishes to attend. The choice is also based on his National Test result. Different Types of Romanian High Schools There are different types of Romanian high school that allow access to higher education. However, because of the difference in the subjects taught in some high schools, admissions to certain universities might be difficult to attain. For example, a Humanities high school usually does not offer any mathematics or science subjects, so a graduate from that school may find it difficult to apply for an

Engineering or Mathematics degree. Still, there is no limitation as to where the student has graduated as long as he or she passes the admissions exam. High school comprises four years of studies, with two compulsory year levels (9th and 10th grade) and two non-compulsory levels (11th and 12th grade). The National Colleges or Colegiile Naionale are the top high schools in Romania. Most of these schools are over 100 years old and are traditionally strong when it comes to education. In order to be admitted to most of these high schools, students should have at least an 8.70 or more as their admission average. Some of the best national colleges only take in students with more than a 9.50. There are three Military colleges run by the Romanian Army. These high schools usually follow the same methods as army units, so they are basically very strict. Students are considered as members of the army, and therefore should abide by rules and regulations set by the army. These military are the Colegiul Militar Liceal Mihai Viteazuin Alba Iulia, Colegiul Militar Liceal Dimitrie Cantemir and Colegiul Militar Liceal tefan cel Mare. An Economic or Technical College (Colegui Economic or Tehnic) is a high school that is based on technical services. Admission average is also high at 8.00. Liceu or Standard High Schools are average high schools that offer one type of academic program. Grup Scolar is the last type of high school, and it combines a high school and a craft and trade school. Academic Programs Each high school can choose to offer one or more of the academic profiles or programs available. Theoretical Programme Sciences or Profil Real is the most rigorous academic program offered. It is also the most sought after as it teaches almost all of the subjects required for university admission. Subjects taught are Latin, Math (Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus), Computer Programming, two secondary languages (like English and French), Literature, History, Geography, Physics, Economics, Logic, Philosophy and Psychology. Humanities or Profil Uman focuses on social studies or languages, and includes more secondary languages in their subjects, Ancient Greek or Latin, more history and geography, social sciences, Latin or Greek. For most schools there is almost no math and sciences. Technical Programs or Profil Technic This profile will provide students with a qualification in the technical field. Most subjects are technical (Locomotive Mechanics, Calibration of Technical Machines and the like). They also offer some math and other sciences, but do not include humanities.

Vocational programs or Profil Vocational This program is designed for non technical fields. Most subjects offered are those related to humanities, and usually do not offer maths or sciences. Arts, designs and music high schools as well as high schools by religious cults belong here as well. Services and Economics Programs of Profil Economic This high school program is a balanced one, much like the Profil Real. However, this program is lighter. It is also a sought after program, placed in second after the Profil Real. Students who finish the above mentioned programs can gain access to universities, so long as they pass the admission examination. There are some high school programs, however, that do not allow university entrance, and these are like The school of Crafts and Trades or the coal de Arte i Meserii. This is a two year school that individuals can enter after the eighth grade. Students can still continue high school by attending a special year in between the two years of School of Crafts and Trades, and should also attend the 11th year in high school. High School Life High school students follow rules and regulations similar to elementary school. Some schools have uniforms, but are only usually worn on special occasions. Grades depend on the school or the teacher of the level, so comparing grades and averages for different schools is not possible. Most high schools have at least two principals or directors. The Baccalaureate Examination Graduating high school students are required to take the National Baccalaureate Exam or Examenul National de Bacalaureat or the Bac. This examination involves two or three oral exams and four or five written exams, and spans a course of one week and a half. Exams are usually held late June and September. Application for the examinations are usually done during the month of May. The bac is a national examination and is held throughout the country. The exams include: Exam A/1 An oral exam for Romanian Language and Literature. This is a public examination where the student is required to answer questions in front of three people. Exam C/1 This is an exam similar to exam A/1 but is only given to students who are taught in a different language other than Romanian (usually a language of a certain ethnic group.) Exam B - This is an Oral Examination for any of the foreign languages taught in High School. Students get to choose between English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. The choice should be made right during the registration for the exam Exam A/2 This is a written examination on the Romanian language and Literature. This exam can last for two hours. Exam C/2 This exam is organized just like Exam A/2 but is only given to schools where the medium

of teaching is another language. Exam D This exam involves a compulsory subject which depends on the academic profile of the school. For example, students finishing real studies might be made to take math or science, while students finishing human studies might be given an exam on Romanian History. The difficulty of the exam shall also be determined by his high school's academic program. This exam lasts for three hours. Exam E The subject of this exam will be chosen by the student, and will be taken from the subjects offered by his high school. Exam F The subject of this exam will also be chosen by the student, but will be taken from subjects not usually offered by his high school program. Each examination is graded with a numerical mark, ranging from 1 to 10. No computers are involved in these exams, and they are manually graded by two separate correctors. In order to pass the exam, a student must score at least 5.00 for each individual exam, and must garner an average of 6.00 for all th exams. Students scoring a perfect 10 will be given special honors. Students who fail are allowed to retake the examinations they failed. The exams are usually taken in June, but a September examination is held for those who failed during the June or July exam. This exam is required for students who wish to enroll in a university, because basically, without passing the exam, a student is still not considered as a high school graduate. However, the results of this exam are not given much importance in college admissions.

Admission to Universities While there is a National Baccalaureate Examination done near or at the end of high school, the results of these exam play a very little role in university admission. The admission process completely depends on each university. Most universities have an admission exam, but have also begun to implement other assessment methods such as essays and interviews in order to better assess a student's actual performance.

University level studies

University level first stage: Diplom de Absolvire; Diplom de Licen: The first stage of university-level study comprises short-term (3 years) or long-term diplomas (4 to 6 years, according to the field of study). University level second stage: Diplom de Studii Aprofundate; Master; Specialization: The second stage is composed of diplomas awarded after one to two years of studies which may include research work.

University level third stage: Doctoral studies: The Doctorate in Romania is the highest postgraduate stage of professional specialization and lasts for 4 - 6 years. There is only one type of Doctorate. Doctoral studies can be carried out either in full-time courses (up to four years) or in extra-mural courses (up to six years). Extra-mural courses can also be offered in main foreign languages. Candidates who have passed the examination for the Doctor's Degree (Doctorate) are awarded the Diploma de Doctor n Stiine.

International Programs Some universities have been trying to adapt curricula used by Western European or North American schools. University diplomas are usually recognized by other European countries. Universities have also developed international programs like Tempus, Socrates/Erasmus, CEEPUS, Copernicus, eLearn and Monet. Fulbright Programs have been developed with the United States.

Graduate Programs Most Romanian graduate programs are still ineffective, and because of that, most of the best Romanian leave the country and pursue graduate studies. Like undergraduate studies before, there is a lack of graduate courses to choose from. Also, there is also a lack of experience when it comes to counseling, research and management. Thus, most graduate studies programs are not well designed and use out of date curriculum for instruction. There is also a lack of experts who are qualified to handle graduate programs since plenty of professors and researches have left the country as well. Because of that, plenty of research works are done, but contain very little value at all. Plagiarized works are still apparent, and researches done by Romanian graduate students are considered to be of low quality. Lack of documentation and the isolation of Romania from the outside world is also an apparent problem. While Romanians may have had several remarkable achievements in the fields of science, they have not been widely made known to the world and thus have deserved little recognition.

Teacher Education

Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers

Pre-primary teachers and primary school teachers are trained in pedogogical high schools.

Training of secondary school teachers

Secondary-school teachers for lower secondary education need a degree from short term higher education and Secondary-school teachers for upper secondary a degree from long term higher education. All the above mentioned categories of teachers must have completed the pedagogical module (during university courses or at least 5 years after graduation) and the special training programmes corresponding to each qualification.

Training of higher education teachers

Higher education teachers (preparatori, lectori asisteni, lectori conferentiari, profesori asociai, profesori, i profesori consultani) are appointed on a competitive basis from among graduates of higher education institutions who have demonstrated outstanding teaching and research qualities. Most candidates seeking positions as teachers in higher education are engaged in or have completed doctoral studies. Possession of a Doctor's Degree is compulsory for senior appointments such as lector, confentiari and profesori. Asistenti should be Ph.D. candidates.

Getting a teaching position in a school

After obtaining the teaching degree for a subject or two (Maths/ Physics, English/Romanian/French/Spanish etc., Biology/Chemistry), each teacher has to take an exam called titularizare in July. The exam consists of a written test on special theory (Maths, Romanian/English/French etc. language and literature, Biology, Chemistry) and methodology. It is a very difficult exam because of the amount of topics one has to cover before taking the test. The maximum grade is 10 and the minimum is 7 in order to get a permanent position as a teacher in a school, and if you do, you will never lose it unless you give it up. If you get between 5 and 7, you can become a qualified substitute for one or two years. Those who get under 5 have to take another exam at the beginning of September in order to get a job. In July 2010 the Ministry reduced the number of teaching job offers so badly that in some counties not even the teachers who obtained a very good result in the national test couldnt find a job.