An order of the Minister of Education stating that schools with relevant results can enter into partnerships with educational units experiencing problems was published in the Official Gazette. The new regulations aim to provide a better education for all children and reduce disparities. ,,It is a 21st century idea applied to a 19th century education system“, says school director Viforel Dorobanțu.
What the order provides
The regulations in the order allow schools in disadvantaged or under-resourced areas to benefit from the support of high-performing educational establishments. The latter will be able to provide “pedagogical expertise, educational resources, methodological and organizational support, to improve educational processes, reduce gaps and increase the quality of the educational act”, the order states. We are basically talking about institutional support, also recommended by school inspectorates. Partnerships can be concluded between schools from all over the country, even if they are not from the same county.
According to the Ministry of Education, the activities within the partnership can also take place online. And they can include:
(a) online lessons, demonstration lessons;
(b) thematic training and observation workshops for beginning teaching staff or those without appropriate education for the position;
(c) support activities for school management and the development of educational leadership;
(d) counseling for the use of technology in education, the creation and sharing of digital educational resources;
(e) interdisciplinary projects and joint student-teacher activities between units;
(f) institutional guidance sessions in hybrid format, through accredited digital platforms.
What a school principal says about the new regulations. Pride, a barrier
Viforel Dorobanțu, director of the school in Curcani, Călăraşi county, says that this approach is useful, but he has uncertainties about how it will be implemented.
“The regulations are common sense in the context of 2025, but, unfortunately, they overlap an education system anchored in the paradigms of the past. I think it all depends on the opening of support schools to find altruistic teachers who will spend their time with a different type of students, from disadvantaged backgrounds. I think it must be started and along the way, in a few years, positive results will also be seen”says the director.
He identified two major obstacles in the optimal implementation of the support. And he also mentions professional pride:
,,I think that a problem will be the passing of a barrier of pride of the teacher whose class will host the support teacher. And obviously where the infrastructure is deficient it will be very difficult to support this type of mentoring”.
Other measures by which the differences in education can be reduced
Viforel Dorobanțu believes that there are a number of other measures that can be taken at the national level and that can help reduce inequities. Mainly, he says, ,, it only takes desire and a lack of hypocrisy in assuming some problems that the system has. Then, if there is good faith, things come naturally so that children without much chance do not even start from scratch in the adventure of knowledge”
In addition to desire, which is essential, it also comes with clear pillars that can make a difference.
“I think we should stop inventing different wheels, mostly cogs, as long as there are wheels that already turn quite well in other systems. A program held in the school, from morning to noon, which includes:
– teaching-learning (classical, hybrid, online)
– hot meal
– remedial activity
They are the only aspects that will bring an increase in children’s education”concludes the director.
Daniela Vișoianu supports the option of school consortia
I also asked for the opinion of education specialist Daniela Vișoianu, who says that the order “It means a kind of call for volunteers from some schools, because no budgetary resources have been identified”.
It also adds:
,,After the decisions of last summer, when the ministry merged schools that had 300, 400, 480 students, from the urban environment, but maintained schools with 20 students from the rural environment, support for students and reducing the gaps would have meant the application of the law and the signing by the minister of the order allowing the establishment of school consortia – formal associations of small schools, which together can constitute departments, which are adjacent, which can “split” human resources. The idea is generous, but, like other good ideas, it is financially and methodologically unsustainable.”
What are the OECD recommendations for real equity in education
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) came up with a series of recommendations for equity in education. These include:
- Investing in early childhood education and carer – Investments in early education provide important advantages for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The quality and training of teachers – Well-trained and professionally supported teachers are one of the most effective keys to reducing inequalities.
- Networks and resources adapted to needs – Systems that allocate additional resources to low-performing students and schools with social and economic challenges achieve better results in reducing gaps.
- Punctual interventions at school level – Practices such as supportive schools (the measure now proposed by the ministry), mentoring programs, psychopedagogical counseling and the adaptation of the curriculum for diversity are recommended.
- Continuous monitoring and evaluation – Solid data and regular evaluations of the inclusion process help.
The country in Europe that can be a model of good practice
Estonia appears as a positive example of equity in education in several European evaluations. The Baltic country is considered Europe’s success story in this essential field, because it managed to move from a rigid post-Soviet system to one of the most efficient, equitable and modern education systems in the world. He achieved this through several steps
- Major investments in early childhood education. The focus is on language development, autonomy and socialisation, not ‘memorisation’, and vulnerable families are supported so that they are not left out. Children thus arrive at school with similar levels.
- Very well trained teachers. All teachers in Estonia have a master’s degree and there is mandatory state-funded continuing education. Also, teachers are given real freedom to decide how they teach, as long as they meet the curriculum objectives. The profession enjoys great prestige in society, even if the salaries are not top-notch.
- Digitization. Students learn from digital textbooks and have access to a huge library of this type. Students in rural areas enjoy the same resources as those in urban areas.
- Fair funding. Schools in vulnerable areas receive additional funding and support teachers.
- Simple curriculum. The focus is on digital skills and the development of critical thinking.
- Schools have autonomy, but also responsibility. Directors have autonomy in scheduling, hiring and resource allocation. At the same time, the state monitors the progress of students, the impact of the subject and the results of vulnerable students. The latter also benefit from a range of support measures, such as rapid interventions for learning difficulties, teachers and support counsellors.
