The Romanian Plight

Over a decade after Romania's communist regime was overthrown, failed economic reforms and high unemployment have resulted in a high number of young people who have abandoned school. Over 30 percent of pupils under the age of fifteen are not registered in any school institution. With many families subsisting on an average income of $100 per month, it is estimated that over 400,000 children have dropped out of school to work. Many students quit school because of poverty or because their parents have them help with the chores. The children who drop school live mainly in rural areas, where parents choose to have them help with seasonal work. Sometimes children are unable to attend school simply because their parents cannot afford books, pens and pencils, lunches, winter boots, or transportation fees. School enrollment numbers drop considerably as children grow old enough to be able to supplement the family income:

Primary education (6-11 years)	95%
Secondary education	88%
Tertiary education (20-24 years)	15%

In Romania, only fifteen percent of young people continue their education after high school. During the 2002-2003 school year, approximately 721,000 full-time and part-time students enrolled in tertiary education programs.^†

The Higher Education System in Romania

There are 112 universities and colleges of higher education in Romania, public and private. All 54 state universities and colleges receive funding from the central government. Accredited private institutions can also compete for government funds. Limited financial aid for students is available in the form of merit scholarships, study scholarships, and grants-in-aid. The first two are awarded on the basis of academic performance, while the last is need-based and related to the student’s social status.

While universities exist throughout the country, almost one-third of all public university students and over one-half of private university students attend classes in Bucharest, the capital city. The location of the institution, however, does not indicate the origin of students since students frequently migrate from their home city to study at tertiary institutions elsewhere.

Programs of Study

Admission to higher education is dependent on performance in the baccalaureate entrance exam taken upon completion of high school. Upon successful completion of the exam and application for admission to an institution, a specialization is chosen.

Most undergraduate courses last four years. Long cycle programs are offered by universities and short cycle ones by university colleges. The duration of programs varies by specialization. Science, humanities, economic and social sciences, law, and communication sciences require eight semesters for long cycle programs. Engineering, agriculture and forestry take ten semesters and architecture, medicine and veterinary sciences require twelve semesters. Short cycle programs are four semesters for the social sciences and six semesters for all other fields.

Teaching methods within universities and colleges consist of lectures, seminars, student essays, research activities and other such approaches. The individual department and sometimes the individual instructor decide on the appropriate mix of such approaches and on the textbooks or other instructional materials to be used.

The academic year commonly runs from the 1^st of October through June and is divided into semesters of approximately fourteen weeks each. National standards set the total class time per week at 24 to 28 hours. The Romanian grading system is from 1 to 10, with 10 the highest mark and 5 the minimum mark needed to pass.

Institutions of Higher Learning

The tertiary education sector can be separated into six classifications of institutions and degrees offered:

(1) Universitate (University) — The largest tertiary institution includes a broad number of faculties and programs and awards advanced scientific and professional degrees while combining teaching and research responsibilities.

(2) Academie (Academy) — A higher education institution training specialists, normally in a single general field (e.g. Academy of Music).

(3) Universitate Politehnicã (Polytechnical University) — This name was given to former polytechnic institutions after 1990 (programs emphasize technical and practical fields of study).

(4) Institut (Institute) — An institution which awards professional degrees based on study and professional experience in limited specializations.

(5) Colegiu Universitar (University College) — Institutions offering two to three year courses leading to a diploma but do not qualify graduates for admission to postgraduate study (may either be part of a university or operate autonomously).

(6) Postgraduate schools independent from the universities.

^†Source: Higher education in a learning society. Ministry of National Education and CEPES/UNESCO, Bucharest, 1998, p.21