The new framework plans launched in public debate arouse the first controversy. We could even talk about a real hysteria if we look at the heated discussions that take place on social networks. History, for example, is one of the topics debated. This is because they would be removed from the timetable of the eleventh and 12th grade students, the matte-info, pedagogical profiles, the specialization of primary education and the technical profile. Those from philology and social sciences will learn history, but less. First of all, the discipline comes out of the common trunk and enters the specialized curriculum, second, from three hours, as far as they had, the students remained with only two. Students also know why all this: “We must think that a student of the 12th grade, who wants to attend a technical college, does not need to be loaded with information that he considers useless, who would not use them. However, this student has learned history in school. He already has a knowledge base. “
Currently, the students of the 9th grade learn universal history. Archive
Radical changes, however, come from all directions: the Latin language disappears, the Romanian language and literature will be made grammar hours, and the students will choose many of the subjects they want to study. New disciplines also appear, for example personal counseling and development, one hour a week at Real and two hours in the human. There will also be optional subjects, from which students will choose what they want to study.
What high school students are currently learning to history
In order to analyze the new changes in the framework plans regarding the history discipline, we must explain, in detail, which is currently learning high school students in this subject. “In the 9th and 10th grade students learn universal history”, He explained for “Adevărul” Corneliu Riegler, a history professor at the “George Coșbuc” National College in the Capital. “Within this discipline, there are only a few words about our national history. On a few occasions, events such as the revolution of 1821 are reached, the revolution of 1848, is mentioned only, not explained, the union of Moldova with the Romanian Country, it is only remembered that we also participated in the two world wars. And so much. “
In the 11th grade, at present, students learn the deepened history of the 20th century. “40% of this subject is national history, 60% is the history of Europe. Which, as much as it is okay. But this matter will disappear for the children from Mate-Info, who will only remain with the Holocaust ”continues the teacher.
In the 12th grade, the history of Romanians is learned. “The emphasis is placed on the Middle Ages, the modern era and the contemporary era. Since ancient times, very little information comes, and the prehistory was abolished by everything ”, says Prof. Rieger. In conclusion, the students of the 12th grade are the only ones who really learn and deepen the history of Romania. “A matter that at Mate-Info disappears from the framework plans. Instead, children will learn mandatory History of communism”.
“We will not have time to teach the students to think”
Corneliu Riegler believes that the decision to remove an hour of history from human and social sciences is a big mistake and hopes that after the subsequent debates it will be corrected. “The fact that they had removed from philology and social sciences an hour of history – before there were three a week, now there will be two consequences. We, as teachers, will no longer have that time to help children sedimen their knowledge, to deepen them. In this third hour of history we develop topics already taught for students to understand them better. Debates are made on a particular subject, you deepen a model of thinking. Decreased the number of hours in human and social sciences is practically no longer to put the students to think so much. ”
Bogdan Bucur, sociologist and history teacher within SNSPA. Personal archive
History: “The misunderstanding of the past can be civilizing suicidal”
Bogdan Bucur, a sociologist and history teacher within SNSPA, said for “Adevărul” that “Regardless of the profession we choose in life we must have a robust knowledge of the issues that constitute our structural connection and what keeps us together under the name of the Romanian people. That is, the Latin origins of the Romanian language, the Romanian language itself, the knowledge of the space in which we develop – this means geography – and the evolution of the Romanian people over time, which means history. “
What do the students say
Ștefania Popa, the president of the Union of Students Representatives, stated for the “Adevărul” that the decision to eliminate history in the Mate-Info profile for the last two high school classes is one as correct and well-as possible. This, in the context in which the students from Real go to a profession based on exact sciences. “I think it is good that history has been removed. You are Real, you go to a profession that requires mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc. I think the heated discussions that have appeared online, the fear that we will not know enough history comes especially in the current political context. We all know what happened in the presidential elections in the autumn. It is probably this fear of not repeating the mistakes of the past. But, on the other hand, we must think that a 12th grade student, who wants to attend a technical faculty, does not need to be loaded with information that he considers useless, who would not use . However, this student has learned history in school. He already has a knowledge base. ” The representative of the students considers that an optional course of history could be introduced.
The student agrees with this reform, and the fact that the history has been removed from the schedule does not have such a great impact. “In the big classes, young people begin to see their own roads in life. And whoever chose Mate-Info will not need more history than he has already learned. “
On the other hand, he considers the student, it is aberrant to force a student to learn Latin grammar when he does not know the grammar of the Romanian language. “We welcome, on the other hand, the introduction of the grammar of the Romanian language in the high school. I find it much more useful. ” Ștefania Popa also referred to the geography matter that the students from Real should study only for their general culture: “But to go into detail that will not help you in your future career seems useless. ”
Daniel David: I’m glad the projects have already sparked such great interest
The Minister of Education also has a message for teachers, parents, students and experts:
I am glad that framework plan projects for high school have already aroused such great interest, receiving hundreds of messages within 24 hours. It is normal, and this shows that we care about the future of our children! We have a few weeks for serious analyzes and constructive discussions, the final decision to be taken in May, in a broader consensus.
But I would enjoy even more than, in order to reach the best option together, let’s focus on the following coordinates:
- Messages are not mere greetings or criticism. The messages must come to the address indicated in the formal announcement, with argued proposals, after careful analysis of the framework plans, to reach the best solution together. If unclear remain, they can be discussed in the national debates or by specific questions at the e-mail address used for public consultation.
- They resume the idea that these proposals must be thought of in the interest of the students – supporting the teachers in this approach and the involvement of the parents – which we want good specialists, good citizens and people balanced and satisfied with their own lives.
- In order to have good specialists, we need to emphasize the specialized skills, especially in grades XI/XII; However, no one stops us from having more transdisciplinary approaches to this level (history on the real profile or sciences on human profile), if the school and students want it (through the hours of cdes), but this is no longer imposed by the ministry, but left to the autonomy/freedom of school and students. Also in a transverse logic and taking into account the characteristics of today’s society, I left the technology of information and communications in all years of the common trunk (again, the hours can be, where it is desired, supplemented by CDEOȘ).
- In order to have good citizens, in my understanding, we must be good Romanian promoters of democracy; That is why the disciplines that contribute directly to the national culture and identity, also expressed in international context, namely Romanian language and literature (in various forms, which will be adequately defined by programs) are in all the years of the common trunk and can be supplemented by Flexible specialty curriculum (if you want the school) and with hours proposed by school and chosen by students (CDEOȘ – including through very specific, but relevant national topics, as we now, for example the theme of Romanians who have marked the culture and civilization of the world. ). Religion, remaining optional, is also present in all years in the common trunk, but thought to bring more clearly in discussion and moral-ethic aspects and to combat religious extremism. History and geography are in the common trunk in grades IX/X, and in grades XI/XII become specialized in the humanistic profile and can be offered on the real profile if they decide the school and the students. We have already received many proposals to be kept transversely and mandatory, without depending on the school and students and I registered them as such. Finally, I did not forget about the mother tongue for minorities, which is well represented.
- To be balanced and satisfied people we also have in all years, in the common trunk, counseling and orientation, including sports, disciplines that can have even greater number of hours if they are proposed by school and chosen by students (Cdeoș).
Essentially, an important change is that the number of hours is no longer allocated to disciplines primarily by the ministry, but have a more important word than before and the school (flexible specialized curriculum), and the student (cdeoș)! Therefore, despite the wrong interpretations related to “affecting some disciplines and hours”, in fact the decision goes more to school and students, and through this decentralization we encourage autonomy and performance, to keep or even increase the current number of hours in certain disciplines.
Let’s be part of the solution to problems, not of problems, to get through consultations/debates to the best option for our children. As I said in the introduction, I expect in the next few weeks to have this serious analysis and constructive discussion, the final decision to be taken in May, in a broader consensus.
The debate takes 5 weeks in which we can analyze any good proposals and we can decide later.
What is the common trunk
The common trunk (50%), provided in the legislation, provides the basic competences and contributes to the formation of key competences, including functional literacy). The share decreases from classes IX/x (65%) to grades XI/XII (35%). It represents a fixed support for the general culture, and most of the disciplines/themes are in close connection with the baccalaureate exam. The common trunk includes 15 disciplines to each of the IX/X classes (to which, as the case may be, the maternal language and literature), distributed in all 7 curricular areas, respectively 9 disciplines in each of the 11th/XII classes (to which Add, as the case may be, the maternal language and literature), distributed in 5 curricular areas.
What is specialized curriculum
“The specialized curriculum (35%), as an innovative development, provides the specialized, general and specific competences, specific to a profile and professional specializations/qualifications, bringing also to the formation of key competences. Its weight increases from classes IX/x (25%) to grades XI/XII (45%). It is semiflexible support for the specialized culture and includes two components: a fixed component (between 77-100%, representing 8-13 hours) and a flexible component (between 0-23%, representing 0-3 hours, which can customize the specialization) ; The percentages of 0% and 100% refer to the vocational and technological chains, where the specialized curriculum is fixed, once the chain/specialization is chosen. Some disciplines/themes are related to the baccalaureate exam.
