In less than two weeks, the simulation of the national assessment for the eighth-grade students takes place, and the teachers are already in the middle of organizing this exam. Some will be supervisors, others will correct the works. But, and some, they complain, will do voluntary work, as every year. “Obviously, these hours we make in addition should be paid ”commented for “Adevărul” Ruxandra Achim, a Romanian language and literature teacher at the “Ilcaragia” National College in Bucharest.
Teachers are not paid for participating in the simulation of national exams. Archive
Teachers who participate in the simulation of national exams have never been paid for the hours they perform. “Year after year, we did, as they would say, voluntary work”, explains Prof. Ruxandra Achim.
Minister of Education, Daniel David: “The salary is for eight hours a day”
On the other side of the barricade is the Ministry of Education. Daniel David, who is not a stranger to this problem, explained that a teacher is paid for eight hours of activity per day. In these eight hours he teaches in the classroom, but he performs other activities. Among them and participating in the simulations of national exams. “I understand that they have never been paid. Let us not forget, once again, that the salary we receive is a salary for 8 hours a day. It is not only reduced to the activities we have by teaching in the classroom. I do not know why we raise the problem now, as it is not a change that has taken place. The simulations were not paid before ”the official said in the presentation of a weekly report.
But teachers do not agree. “The activity of a teacher continues and after he finished his class hours. In the rest of the time, we prepare the hours for the next day, correct works, prepare materials, sheets, etc. So, the eight hours a day are checked ”, Explains Professor Ruxandra Achim.
However, during the simulations of the national exams, the work schedule of the teachers becomes overloaded, they are obliged to work extra, but without receiving any money. “We are not talking about the Olympics, competitions that are organized on the weekend, and those unpaid. For example, on March 9, on Sunday, he is the reading Olympiad. On March 15, on Friday, it is the Romanian Olympics and will probably take place in the afternoon. On March 17, we have the simulation for the National Assessment. On March 24, it is the simulation for the baccalaureate exam. How does that sound? River!”
Participation in the simulation of national exams breaks during the time allocated to prepare the subject for the next day, says the teacher. “During the time they correct, the teachers will not be able to prepare their hours for the next day. But you can’t go to the unprepared class. Therefore, they will break from their free time for this training. ”
Professor Achim also explained that the process of evaluating the works is a stressful one, and the pressure is very high. “The correction of the works is done against time, in a certain well-defined interval. You can’t give them when you want, but when you need it. And a very high pressure is felt especially by the teachers who teach examination disciplines: Romanian, mathematics, history, physics, etc. The reason? I receive dozens of works to evaluate. “
The teacher believes that these hours that teachers lose by participating in simulations should be paid by introducing bonuses.
Professor: “If they are paid for the actual exams, why not be paid for simulation?”
Sorin Hagiu, the director of the Giarmata Gymnasium School, from Timiș county, said in an intervention on a television station that the teachers who participate in the simulation should be paid as they are when participating in the actual exams. “It’s the same time invested in children, they are the same resources. If they are paid for the actual exams, why not be paid for simulation? ”, he asks.
And Marius Nistor, the president of the Federation of Education Trade Unions “Spiru Haret”, said that there is no major difference between the exam itself and the simulation of the exam. Moreover, he added that the teachers evaluating the works from the simulation of the baccalaureate exam have a large number of works and the time is short: “We have received notifications in the part of our colleagues regarding the number of works that come to each examination discipline.”
He also said that the Ministry of Education “It should also take into account our requests, on behalf of our colleagues, to pay participation in these simulations. “ The trade union leader said that the large number of works to be evaluated is a consequence of the fact that there are few corrective teachers and “We arrive in a somewhat impassed situation.”
According to edupedu.ro, last year, the procedure of the Ministry of Education stipulated that a teacher must correct 50 works from the simulations for the National Assessment and BAC 2024, including at home. In reality, however, the number has reached 70-80 works, teachers complain.
