Romania is among the European Union states with the worst results regarding the school inclusion of children with disabilities, according to the European Commission’s Country Report.
Only 31% of these children are integrated into mainstream schools, the data cited in the document show. At the same time, the rate of young people with disabilities who leave the education system early reaches 61.6%, almost two and a half times higher than the European average.
The document also draws attention to the small number of teachers trained to work with students who have special educational requirements, to the low level of social protection, as well as to the difficulties of integration into the labor market faced by people with disabilities.
Romania’s spending on social protection and long-term care is among the lowest in the European Union, and access to community services remains limited.
The consequences are later reflected in the labor market, where the employment gap for people with disabilities reaches 45.4 percentage points, exceeding the European Union average by more than 21 percentage points.
The European Commission notes that “socio-economic disparities, including the level of education of parents, as well as the school segregation of Roma and the limited inclusion of children with disabilities further exacerbate educational inequities and disadvantages.”
Critical aspects that need reforms from the Government
The scoreboard of social indicators for Romania highlights several critical situations, marked in red. The rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion is 27.4%, and the rate of children in the same situation reaches 32.4%. The impact of social transfers on poverty reduction is only 21.7%, and the employment gap between people with and without disabilities is 45.4 percentage points.
The share of children under three who benefit from formal care and early education services is extremely low, at only 11.1%. Only one indicator is in the area of the European average, namely the over-burdening of the population with housing costs, which is 5%, this being marked in yellow, as well as the unsatisfied medical needs reported by the population, of 2.9%.
The European Commission’s report underlines that school segregation remains a critical problem. “Thus, school segregation remains a critical problem, with 43% of Roma students learning in segregated schools, only 31% of children with disabilities being enrolled in mainstream schools. This situation accentuates marginalization and educational disadvantages“, according to the report.
Practically, seven out of ten children with disabilities are not integrated into mainstream education. Equity in education is among the lowest in the European Union: only 3.7% of disadvantaged pupils achieve well in basic skills, while the EU average is 16.3%, compared to 38.7% of their advantaged peers.
Parents’ level of education strongly influences educational outcomes, with only 4% of 25- to 64-year-olds whose parents did not complete upper secondary education achieving higher levels of education. Although Romania has adopted a new monitoring framework for identifying and combating school segregation, its effective implementation remains essential, the report states.
The first message of public interest for the right to inclusive education of children with disabilities was published in the Audiovisual Code
Regarding teacher training, the document notes that “few teachers are prepared to work with children with disabilities and/or special educational needs.” Satisfaction with teachers’ pedagogical training fell from 87% in 2018 to 69%, only 23.6% of beginning teachers had a designated mentor in 2024, and only 59.8% of teachers believe that recent in-service training programs have had a real impact on their work.
The number of children out of school is increasing, despite the national program to reduce school dropouts
Early school leaving disproportionately affects young people with disabilities. “In 2024, early school leaving affected 61.6% of young people with disabilities, while the EU average is 24.6%,” according to the report.
The share of 18- to 24-year-olds who left education and training early rose in Romania to 16.8%, before falling to 15.5% in 2025, returning almost to the level of 2020. In the same period, the European Union average continued to fall, from 10% to 9.1%. Dropout remains particularly high in rural areas, at 23.7%, compared to 4.6% in cities, and in small towns and suburbs, at 16.3%, continuing to strongly affect the Roma population.
Although the National Program for the Reduction of School Dropouts (PNRAS) supports 2,300 schools, and 45% of schools included in the first wave of funding reported better participation and results in national assessments and lower school dropout rates, the European Commission warns that the number of children out of school remains high.
“However, given that the number of out-of-school children is increasing, and “Second chance” type measures have limited results, the targeted measures for identification, attraction and reintegration into education remain insufficient.”
The Commission’s conclusion is that these educational disparities limit professional opportunities and contribute to the perpetuation of poverty from one generation to the next.
The impact of social transfers (excluding pensions) on poverty reduction was 21.7% in 2024, one of the lowest levels in the European Union, where the average is 33.2%.
Spending on social protection remains among the lowest in the EU, at 13.6% of GDP in 2023, compared to 19.6% in the EU, with only a small share allocated to social assistance and unemployment benefits.
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Although in March 2024 the Social Reference Indicator (SRI) was increased to reflect inflation and its annual update was established, the suspension of indexation in 2025 risks eroding the adequacy of benefits. The social protection system “continues to respond ineffectively to the risks of poverty and social exclusion”, and services for people with disabilities are insufficient.
Employment Commission Recommendation
All these problems are reflected in employment. In 2025, the employment gap for people with disabilities increased by 0.6 percentage points to 45.4%, 21.2 percentage points above the European Union average of 24.2%.
Incentives and support measures for people with disabilities to help them find a job are limited, and their participation in the labor market at the end of their professional career, in the 55-64 age group, is one of the lowest in the European Union, at 24.3%, compared to 55.1%, which is the EU average in 2024.
One of the five recommendations of the European Commission for Romania concerns precisely this area:
“To reduce poverty and the risks of social exclusion through (…) increased attention to primary and preventive health services, long-term care programs, social, educational and employment services, especially for disadvantaged groups, while maintaining fiscal sustainability”.
