Three weeks after Daniel David announced that he was resigning as Minister of Education, the president signed the decree of release from office. However, no one has been named as a replacement, although several names have been floated. Thus, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan took over the interim mandate. The question inevitably arose in the public space: why does no one want and assume to be Minister of Education?
Marian Staș: “When the prime minister enters the game, it means that it is, in fact, a moment of crisis”
I asked Marian Staș, a specialist in educational policies, what he thinks has happened since Daniel David’s resignation, if Prime Minister Ilie Boloajan did not find any suitable candidate or if no one accepted the position.
“I think it’s a combination of both” answered Staș, who is talking about a complicated situation:
“As a principle and as a political message, when the prime minister temporarily takes over a portfolio, the matter is extremely serious. Because he has other things to do as head of the Government. The situation in Education is all the more sensitive, because three weeks have passed and the search continues. If I were to look at the full side of the glass, I would think that it measures seven times and cuts once. In other words, he searches carefully to find the most suitable person, the most suitable man for the position in question. But, when it comes into play, it means that it is, in fact, a moment of crisis, both political and public policy”.
At the moment, however, the position of Minister of Education does not seem desirable at all.
“At least from what I’ve received signals, very, very many people rather don’t want it. From the politicians, because from the technocrats I haven’t heard any names circulating, not even on sources. And probably the people who received the invitation from the prime minister turned it down, they moved aside, probably appreciating that the situation is much too complicated.” says Marian Stas.
Why no one wants to be a minister
“The potato is very, very, very hot. For all possible reasons”says Marian Staș. It details: “The projects that Daniel David started are not at all comfortable and now they are in the phase where they are to be put into practice. This is an indirect compliment to what the strength of Daniel David’s tenure means, because he had the courage to do those hard, uncomfortable things. And he left when he left. But look, after him, no one really has the courage to enter.”
The specialist in educational policies also brought up the two branches of education – pre-university and university -, with different perspectives and policies, which make it difficult to find a minister skilled in both directions.
“Universities don’t really know pre-university education. As uncomfortable as this truth may seem, with the exception of Daniel David, I have not met a person in the university who knows how pre-university education should work, therefore, because this is where the hottest potatoes are, they are simply afraid, and they said: <
On the other hand, pre-university people have a certain type of inferiority complex every time it comes to this minister’s chair, in relation to university students. (…) The problem is that most of them (I dare to believe that Ms. Luciana Antoci is an exception) don’t really have the strength to enter the university area and do things the right way”.
Glass half full
Marian Staș also sees the glass half full and believes that things could work well until a full minister is found.
“It is possible that this interim formula has a certain type of yield, of functionality, for an important reason: it reminds us that Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has a former prefect of Iași, Mrs. Luciana Antoci, as a state councilor, who is a personality with a strong presence in Education. So that, at least in the pre-university area, he is not discovered as an interim minister. I trust that a person like Luciana Antoci advises him properly on issues of pre-university education policies, he is a brave person with a vision”.
Staș also comes with another perspective: Ilie Bolojan could take measures that no minister would perhaps have the courage to undertake.
“I think that one thing that Ilie Bolojan could do, as interim minister, is to cut the Gordian knot. Let him do two or three of these difficult things with his status and with his aplomb as prime minister, such as: abolishing inspectorates, merging universities. And then moved on. Also, one thing I would do, if I were in that position: I would give a ministerial order to pilot three school programs that are very sensitive – Romanian Language and Literature, Computer Science and Religion. There’s a whole host of sensitive things there that can’t be cosmeticized, just work on the inside.”
The specialist also says that the prime minister could also focus on other sensitive topics, such as rural consortia, tenure or didactic training.
Professor: “There are fewer and fewer reasons for someone in good faith to accept the position”
I also consulted the Social Sciences teacher, Doru Căstăian, about the situation.
“I don’t remember a time when no significant person seemed to want this position, nor did the government in office have specific ideas or proposals. But I don’t rule out that there were precedents”he says.
The teacher comes with a not-so-optimistic perspective:
“There are fewer and fewer reasons for someone of good faith and who really wants to change things to accept this position. Especially under a Prime Minister who seems quite inflexible and who seems to prefer Ministers of Education who do not deviate from the directives drawn.”
Parents’ representative: “No one wants to be a sacrifice”
Even Zeno Daniel Șuștac, founder of the group “Parents of Romanian Students” and president of the Association for the Depoliticization of Education, is not at all optimistic:
“The period of austerity, the budget crisis continues, and education is still being sacrificed. This is why, in my understanding, no successor has been found for Daniel David up to this point. (…) No one wants to be a sacrifice, in short. And no one wants to tarnish their image in the coming term. Unfortunately, and in a totally wrong way, education is treated as a cost, not a primary investment in the nation’s future.”
Regarding the image, he gives as an example what happened to Daniel David, who took over the leadership of Education with a very good image and a high degree of public sympathy. “And his image changed radically, because he managed to coagulate the hostility of the teaching body”.
Zeno Daniel Şuștac says that pessimism and worry also characterize most of the parents he has interacted with:
“Parents are disappointed, some can’t believe it. I have met parents who are thinking of taking their children and leaving for more hospitable places with their children’s future”.
When we could have a full Minister of Education
According to the law, the interim prime minister Bolojan can last a maximum of 45 days. However, he said on TVR 1 that he wants a new minister to be proposed by the end of the month.
“We are analyzing all the options we have, and the PNL leadership will come up with a proposal, following this analysis. The moment you become a minister or prime minister and you come with authority, as did Mr. David, for example, you practically put your credibility on the line, the years of work in which you formed a certain image, and in the conditions where you have to take measures that do not sound good, as we were put in the situation to do last year, you risk that this credibility will be affected, but not because you did something inappropriate, but because you became a minister at a time that it is not very appropriate, when due to the very large deficits we have reached, you need to correct things, you need to make savings and you need to reset things in a different dynamic. This is what Minister David did and I should thank him for this activity and for the sacrifice he made personally. This is the truth,” said Ilie Bolojan.
Meanwhile, among both teachers and parents, the dominant feeling seems to be distrust.
“He will probably find someone during this period. But it might not necessarily be the best choice, given the particularities of the situation.”says professor Doru Căstăian.
“It will be found. Out of party loyalty, if for no other reason. Only we will have an executive minister, in no case a Spiru Haret, a man who reforms the system, who thinks about increasing the quality of our education, who understands where we are going and where we are”Zeno Daniel Şuștac also believes.
Staș: “I would not appoint a person who has been there before”
Public policy specialist Marian Staș sees, once again, the glass half full. And he says that most likely the prime minister chose to analyze in detail, so that he does not come up with a proposal that is immediately dismantled, because of the “skeletons in the closet”.
“I say that all bad for good and rather like this, let them keep looking, keep asking. It is certain that the next man who would take the oath as a minister must be a firm, strong, uncompromising person with very good management and strategic leadership, because 2026 is the year when the tolerance for all kinds of mischief is almost zero. The task is not easy, but I trust that those who seek will find. (…) cI wouldn’t do it: I wouldn’t go for the appointment of a person who has been there before. I do not encourage reheated soups in education, regardless of their name“.
