Commission Report 2002 (Romania)

• Progress since the last Regular Report
• Overall assessment
• Conclusion

Chapter 18: Education and training

Progress since the last Regular Report

Progress has been made since the last Regular Report.

During the reference period, Romania continued to participate in the second generation of the Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates and Youth Community programmes (see section A.b ­ Relations between the European Union and Romania). Implementing legislation for the application of the Directive concerning education of children of migrant workers was approved in October 2001.

Several initiatives were taken over the reporting period to promote reforms in the field of education, training and youth. Scholarships are now granted to children from families living on the minimum income and to adults in literacy programmes. In order to improve the quality of education and continued studies for children in rural areas, a system of commune school centres was set up. Steps have also been taken in all counties for the integration of children with special needs into a normal school environment.

In order to develop teacher training, a Strategy for Initial and Continuing Training of Educators and Education Managers for 2001-2004 was adopted in November 2001. This represents an important step towards a structural reform of the education system.

In the area of vocational education and training, local Development Committees for Social Partnership in Vocational Education and Training were recognised through a Ministerial Order. These are consultative structures which are consulted by the County School Inspectorates on a number of issues (e.g. school network, educational offer, qualifications, specialisations). In a separate measure, a Government Decision from December 2001 regulated the certification of qualifications.

In June 2002, legislation was adopted establishing the legislative and institutional framework for the vocational training of adults. The legislation is in line with the principle of life-long learning and represents significant progress, even though further legislation and institutional reforms will be needed before the law can be effectively implemented.

Overall assessment

Participation in the relevant Community programmes is satisfactory and the established national agencies are functioning.

In order to fully transpose and implement the Directive concerning education of children of migrant workers, attention should focus on the definition of beneficiaries and the free teaching of Romanian.

The Romanian education system suffers from low levels of funding and even though expenditure has slightly increased it remains insufficient.

There have been a number of positive developments such as increased access to education for people with limited income. The Strategy for Initial and Continuing Training of Educators and Education Managers is a welcome initiative, although it is not clear if sufficient resources have been allocated to allow for its effective implementation. The decentralisation of funding of pre-university education to local authorities, which took place in 2001, has been implemented without major problems. The introduction of a compulsory year of pre-school education is being implemented on a pilot basis.

However, there have also been setbacks. Implementation of the 1997 decision extending compulsory school education from 8 to 9 years, which was supposed to start in the school year 2003-2004, has been postponed. The Romanian authorities still have to develop an overall plan to reform the education system. The absence of a structured vocational training system for adults remains a serious problem.

Conclusion

In its 1997 Opinion, the Commission concluded that no major problems should be expected in this field.

Since the Opinion, Romania has continued to reform the education system although low levels of Government funding limit the impact of the reforms. Progress has been made with the transposition of the acquis although further work is necessary. A number of important social inclusion measures have also been put in place. Participation in the relevant Community programmes is satisfactory and the established national agencies are functioning effectively.

Negotiations on this chapter have been provisionally closed. Romania has not requested any transitional arrangements. Romania is generally meeting the commitments it has made in the accession negotiations in this domain.

Romania should focus future efforts on completing alignment with the acquis and ensuring that reform initiatives are supported by adequate levels of funding.

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