From schools with toilets at the bottom of the Court to Science-Fiction education. Unreal transformation into one of the poorest counties in Romania

In just two years, one of the poorest counties in Romania passed from schools with toilets at the bottom of the court to ultra-technological education. The best equipped are the technological high schools in the rural, precisely for the peasant sons to receive a chance in the future.

The Botosan education has always been noted at national level through the Olympians and elite high schools, but also through the schools with toilets at the bottom of the court. Considered one of the poorest counties in Romania, Botoșani has always kept the tops of the areas in the country with catastrophic schools, in terms of infrastructure. Whether the students were teaching in schools of the Middle Ages, from chirpi, poorly heated and with cracked walls, or they did not have a sanitary authorization due to the toilets at the end of the oak or the lack of running water.

This negative trend has been maintained until recently. In 2020, for example, in Botosani county there were still over 200 schools that did not have a sanitary authorization, for the reasons listed above. In just five years, things have changed drastically, and from a county of schools with the toilet at the bottom of the courtyard, it has probably become one with the most technologized schools in Moldova. In addition to the rehabilitations and modernizations of the buildings in which schools, many technological high schools and educational units in the rural area operate with the latest technology. Most of these investments are due to the funds obtained by PNRR.

“It is something I have never seen elsewhere.”

At the moment, in Botosani county there are only eight schools with the toilets at the bottom of the court, and they are in liquidation, that is, they will soon be closed due to the small number of students. The schoolchildren will be moved to the educational units in the center of the communes and a possible investment in this school would be useless. In addition, most of the educational units in the county either accessed European funds, or have been modernized from the local budget and equipped with state -of -the -art educational equipment.

“He has been invested in educational infrastructure in recent years. Education must be a priority and for the educational act it must be carried out under modern, 21st century. In this way, even the students from the disadvantaged environments receive a chance at education and a future ”says Bogdan Suruciuc, general school inspector in Botosani. Most investments were made through PNRR. In just a few years, the school infrastructure in Botosani county has changed radically. “The world must understand that when investing in education, he invests in the future. And I say that this thing in Botosani understood this. ”says Cristina Bălăucă, deputy school inspector.

For the most part, huge investments were made in the modernization of the buildings in which the schools operate, new bodies were built, they were equipped with new, modern furniture, with rich libraries and with a lot of technology, from laptop, video projectors and smart tables in Each class to glasses for virtual reality and robots. An almost science-fiction educational world to which few would have expected in Botosani County. A stimulus was the time when students live. Most have extraordinary digital skills, being born in the family who have all kinds of gadgets, from the smartphone to tablets and laptops or smart watches. Including in the rural area, children have all this technology, sent, in many cases, by parents who went to work abroad. The heads of the School Inspectorate say that the students of the Alpha generation, in particular, have triggered this technological revolution in schools.

The classic teaching has a limited effect on them. Instead, with the help of technology it is clearly spoken, in their language. “All the trend we have in front of the education system is its digitalization. And for this there is a need for modern methods of teaching and learning. These measures come with the endowment of the educational units with all kinds of gadgets, from interactive to 3D glasses and tablets. Clearly, I think a first step in representing online education when we were practically forced to adapt these new trends, characteristic of an ultra-technological generation ”adds Bogdan Surciuc.

Top schools in the country

In the commune “Mihai Eminescu”, for example, all schools are rehabilitated and equipped with state -of -the -art technology. In particular the school in the village of Ipotești.

“The modernization of schools in the commune began in 2020. Then five schools from six were rehabilitated. There followed a project in pandemic when, with the support of the town hall, we managed to buy tablets for all students, laptops for all teachers and interactive tables at schools. Through another project, this summer we managed to improve the equipment with the newer interactive sheet model, an computer laboratory, all-in-one systems in all class and printers. We are not talking about video projectors that exist in each classroom. We also have sound and camera systems for video conferencing. We also have glasses for virtual reality. Effectively we prepare lessons with the help of virus reality. I think we have everything needed in a modern school. These features are important for all schools, they are needed for the school to be really attractive to students, to come to school, to be efficient, to combine modern with classic ones”, Stations the director of the school, Eugen Vasiliu.

Special facilities also have the school in Corlăteni commune, where there were investments, starting with 2020, millions of euros. The main body was rehabilitated, made a new building, with a library, a multimedia room, a very modern showroom and technological features. In addition to the schools in Mihai Eminescu and Corlăteni, there are still 17 educational units in so many communes where students actually learn to western European standards, at the 21st century. These school schools also have the transport insured for students.

“It is something I have never seen elsewhere.”

However, the largest investments were made in the technological high schools in the rural area or in the very small cities. It is precisely on the principle that students in these areas deserve a real chance for access to education and a future.

“We are in a disadvantaged area and the continuation of the school and learning a profession is essential for children from villages. They are offered a chance at a future. At a career ”says Cristina Grădinaru, director of the Trușești High School. In fact, this high school in Trușești, who receives students from all neighboring villages, is a true educational hub in the rural world. In its modernization and endowment tens of millions of euros were invested through funds of different types. In addition, the high school management has managed to make partnerships with schools in the European Union where it is exchanging experience. For example, in the field of public food and services, students have learned a job in Spain or Cyprus. In agriculture, they were gone to Denmark.

“We have a lot of investments and top features. Especially on these technological profiles we have invested in greenhouses, modern agricultural devices, tractors and other machines, modern laboratories. In addition, we have these solid partnerships through which students gain an incredible opening. In addition, they benefit from recognized professional athetes at the level of the whole European Union ”says Cristina Grădinaru. At the Bucecea Technological High School, similar investments were made. The classrooms were equipped with modern technology, being a smart-lab, plus other features, including an ultra-modern kitchen for the practice of students from public food. “I have been in this high school since 1998 and I can tell you how this school has technologically changed. It is an extraordinary, visible change and many graduates of our school, when they visit, come and say “it is something I have never seen elsewhere.” The local authorities, but also, as a school, we are concerned about the technological development of our school so that the children are at the same step as the times they live in and have a chance at a future ”says Carolina Enea, the high school directorate.

Another important example is the Technological High School in Vorona commune. This school unit has been modernized with over 6 million euros. It has an ultra-modern campus, gym, laboratories and spaces for specialized practice. In addition, modern building bodies were built, with hi-tech equipment in the classrooms. Last but not least, the high school has an experimental base on both the fruit growing side and vegetable. In addition to these high schools, in Botosani, probably the richest high schools in the country, in Romania. This is the high school in Șendriceni and the High School in Pomârla. Completely modernized, these high schools also have important bases of production, land and forest.

Students motivated by technology to come to school

The effects of massive technology investments give and the first fruit says directors and teachers. Basically, students come with pleasure at school, school dropout is reduced and the learning results are much better. “Due to these investments, especially on the area of ​​technological profiles, school dropout has been reduced. Students are motivated to come to school. I know that only so I can earn their bread and have the chance to have a decent, even well paid service. Understood the need for education in order to exceed their limits. Obviously, the new features help them learn more easily, more with pleasure ”says Cristina Grădinaru.

The same thing is confessed to Marta Istrate from the Technological High School in Bucecea. “Our students are getting better prepared in terms of technology. It is an extraordinary plus, both for us as teachers but especially for students. It feels that they come with greater pleasure, that they are waiting with great interest to see what lessons I have prepared on the smart tables. To know by the means they love and master ”says the Botosani teacher.

Mihai is in the 11th grade, in Bucecea and says he came to school to learn with technology. “I honestly did not kill myself with school, in the gymnasium. But once I got to high school and all this technology has appeared in school, it took me bad. I mean, it is surprised at home that I have high physics notes, that they go to physics competitions. I discovered that I like physics precisely because of technology. I saw otherwise the experiments, the relationships between forces, the formulas. There are many who come to school only to play with the gadgets. They play but also learn. Impossible not to stay with something ”says the Botoşănean student.