The Minister of Education, Daniel David, was addressed to the Romanians last night, on the Ministry’s Facebook page. I have witnessed a unique and premiere intervention, because no minister has ever proceeded this way. For more than 40 minutes, the official presented the strategy for 2025 of the ministry, but also a report of the activity of the institution during this period. In the end, Daniel David also answered some questions from those present. His intervention has gathered thousands of comments and appreciation.
The Minister of Education, Daniel David, addressed the Romanians in a live on Facebook. Archive
In the office, in front of a laptop, Minister Daniel David addressed LIVE, on Facebook, to the Romanians. His intervention was followed by thousands of people, most of the system, but also by parents and journalists. “Good evening everyone! My name is Daniel David, I am the Minister of Education and Research. This evening I am here in a personal name, which is why the discussion will be a more informal one ”were the first words of the minister addressed to the audience.
The official announced, among other things, that the framework plans for high school will be put into public debate on January 31. Debirocratization of the education system, financing the research in Romania, teachers’ salaries, social programs implemented in schools to stop and prevent abandonment are a few other topics in question. Daniel David has announced that the Ministry of Education and Research is in a reorganization phase. „ÎWe try to think a model that is effective, not to have overlapping directions, not to have people who do the same. We try to use the budget we will have efficiently. “
How healthy is the Romanian education. Diagnosis, in May
David recognizes that his beginning of mandate is not very promising in the economic-financial and political context in which we are, the highest institution of the country is not still well seated. “I say this not to complain, but to understand that it is a complicated situation and in such a situation you have to be very realistic. And my perspective is to have a short – medium -term strategy, probably until the beginning of June, and a medium and long term strategy after June. Now, in this short-term strategy, what is very important for me is to be able to make a diagnosis of our education and research system. ”
This diagnosis will then support the implementation of certain policies in education, but based on concrete evidence. The minister pleaded in this context and for depoliticizing the education system: “Our education and research system should not be very politically influenced. The architecture should remain relatively stable, and the politicians, the ministers who also have a political color, do not come to change the architecture and to always upset the system for every minister’s change. Of course, they can come up with their own policies in an architecture that is a healthy one and connects us with good European practices ”. This x -ray will tell us what is going well, what is not so good and, therefore, what needs to be modified, restructured or eliminated. “If there are things we will have to change, including in the architecture of the pre -university area, I am willing to rethink them. And if we have to implement evidence -based policies that can change the architecture and legislation, we will do it. But not in the short term-environment, but in the medium and long term ”.
What is the role of the Minister of Education in Daniel David’s vision
The Minister of Education does not have to do micromanagement, considers Daniel David, but have a vision and a strategy. He said that there is a high dose of mistrust, suspicion, cooperation between institutions and citizens does not work very well. “I see an area of very high power concentration. I mean, everyone wants to talk to the minister for any problem. Nobody trusts to discuss with other institutions, with the teacher, the school director, with the inspector, with the principals of the ministry, with the state secretaries. Everyone wants to talk to the minister, which shows me that the system doesn’t work well. ”
His role as a minister, David said, is to go out when he has to discuss vision, strategy, when they have to monitor their operational implementation. “But not to do it, to be careful to work well. Not every minor system problem must reach the minister, but only big problems. To make sure that we react quickly, transparently and at the same time, if there are no rules to correct the problem that arose, to quickly create the respective rules. I think this is the function of a minister, not to be a kind of administrator who makes micromanagement to such a complicated and complex system. ”
Daniel David: “Framework plans, put into public debate on January 31. In 2026 it enters into force ”
The framework plans for high school are currently still analyzed, but at the end of the month, more precisely on January 31, they will be put into public debate. A classically organized public debate, as is usually done. “Beyond the classic public debate, by which we receive feedback on an address or more e-mail addresses, I will organize four national debates, in Bucharest, Cluj, Iași and Timișoara. There are areas that can attract interested people from the other counties ”, the minister said. After these zonal debates an online national debate will follow. “So that all those who want to have a say about these plans can participate. We will take all the good proposals seriously ”added Minister David. The adoption of the framework plans will take place in May, and the actual implementation will take place in 2026. Until then, the programs, the textbooks and the training that the teachers must go through will be worked.
The minister confessed that he focuses on this area of pre -university education, being one of his priorities. “I think 85% of my mind is on the pre -university. I am not going to make major changes in architecture during this period. I know that many want to discuss the idea of degree, national exam in the 8th grade, to rethink the exams that are given to pass from the fourth grade in class will in some national colleges. Only, in the short and medium term, I am not going to make major changes. It would be a moft I would have under the conditions in which in 2023 I adopted a law of pre-university education. I cannot and I do not want to do anything but implement the things that exist in the law as possible. ”
Teachers’ salaries, decent. David: “We will have discussions on the law of unitary pay”
The minister came up with additional clarifications in terms of performance indicators of teachers who will be closely linked to everything that means pay and income. “For me, the basic salary should be a decent salary, which shows the role we want to give to the teacher in society.” The minister was worried that the best graduates in universities no longer choose the pre -university environment. Avoid, as they say, a teaching career, at the chair. “We will start the discussion at the law of unitary pay, where I will argue for this level of a decent salary according to the social role, the need we have now and, of course, depending on the number of years of school we have and we have in university and during our training as teachers. Beyond this basic salary, we will come up with these performance indicators to increase the income where there is performance ”.
What does it mean, more precisely, performance and how can it be quantified? The minister said that the performance of a teacher is mirrored not only in the results of the students at the Olympics. For example, an indicator of excellence could also refer to the efforts of teachers to work in disadvantaged environments.
Daniel David explains why he accepted the position of minister. “No one who can do something for education has the right to refuse”
“At this moment you have a minister who has not come for political interests, for personal interests, but to make things work well.” Daniel David confessed in an attempt to answer the question why he accepted the position of minister. “I was invited by the Lord Ilie Bolojan And I came up with the idea of strengthening in this government, at central level, the idea of a Euro-Atlantic Romania in a complicated situation through which the country passes. I came because I think I can help the education and research system to work better without having personal or political interests. I do not target a political career or personal interests that help me more than what I have at this time. ”
However, the minister accepted the function coming with a number of requirements. “And the coalition, for the most part, satisfied me. There were common sense requirements. I said, for example, that it would be good to bring education with the research because the two should develop together. The problems we go through at the social level at this time are related to the fact that education and science have missed reaching people and a bizarre, very dangerous Romania is developing. ”
The official also explained the reasons that caused him to appear live on Facebook in front of the citizens. “We came to try to make this system together to work well, the education and research system. I will have no problem admitting when I am wrong, taking responsibility and correcting things. But also, there will probably be times when I will make decisions that will not be very popular. But what I can promise is that every time I will argue them scientifically or through the values in which I believe. And sometimes, I hope very rarely, but there will be such moments, through certain special contexts that can occur. But there I will come with social or ethical arguments, surely, always in the context of the law ”
At the same time, said Minister David, the coalition assumed that education will be a national strategy for the government. “I think no one who can do something in these complicated moments is not allowed to refuse. Honestly and directly said, this was my motivation ”, said Minister David.
