The representatives of the pre-university education trade union federations met with the Minister of Education on Tuesday. Unsatisfied with the answers they received, the unionists told their members that “we must not stop here.”
In full protest of teachers in pre-university education – tens of thousands of teachers announced that they do not support the simulation of national exams -, the representatives of representative trade union federations in pre-university education had a meeting with a delegation of the Ministry of Education and Research. The delegation included the Minister of Education, Mihai Dimian, state secretaries and the director of the General Economic Directorate, according to an internal note sent by the trade union federations in the territory.
Ten burning issues were addressed, but the answers received by trade unionists are far from expectations.
What issues were put on the table
The first topic on the discussion table was the one related to the problems generated by the changes made last summer. The teachers ask to be recalled increasing the teaching norm by two hours, and the first step requested by the unions is for the Ministry of Education to support a legislative initiative in Parliament to propose a 2-hour reduction in the didactic teaching norm for teachers with teaching degree I and over 25 years of experience. The minister replied (according to what was sent by the two federations to the unions in the country) that he intends to draw up a material (the trade unionists wonder if it is a job description) that would highlight the complex activity of the teaching staff and highlight that the weekly work level is even higher than 40 hours, material that will be presented to public opinion.
Trade unionists also raised the issue returning to the number of students/class according to the initial provision of Law no. 198/2023. The minister replied that an analysis of the numbers of students and children will be made for each cycle of education.
The gatherings abnormalities of some educational units and the fact that, as a result of these mergers, a new external evaluation by ARACIP is needed, for which there are no funds, were another reason for discussions. The minister replied that it will be checked if there were mergers that were not justified and that a GEO project will be initiated for the tax exemption of these external evaluations.
As for hourly rateconsidered humiliating by the teachers, the answer was also in the area of ”an analysis of the rates for the payment of these hours will be made”.
No answer was offered, however, when the trade unionists pointed out that at the national exam simulations there were principals who pressured teachers to participate in these simulations.
Tensions in Education: about 40,000 teachers prepare to strike before national exam simulations
The trade unions also raised the issue of the need to put into practice the legal provisions regarding therecruitment of kindergarten teachers in the category of auxiliary teaching staff, because there are already court rulings by which nannies must be classified as auxiliary teaching staff. This issue needs to be clarified and resolved, the minister agreed.
Leaders want to participate in the video conferences with the IŞJs
The union leaders also raised the issue of participation in the videoconferences that the Ministry of Education organizes with school inspectorates. The minister, they say, has not yet given them an answer.
It was also discussed about the non-granting of additional vacation days for auxiliary teaching and administrative staff, due to the Edusal application, with the leaders receiving confirmation that “the notification will be analyzed”.
A major concern of teachers was that in the upcoming public sector salary law, the salaries of senior teachers will increase insignificantly, as there are signals, which is why the unions are asking for the support of the ministry. The minister replied that teachers must have motivating salaries that reflect the importance of their work.
The request for the ministry to get involved remained unanswered the shuttle settlement issue teachers, in the context where there are still local councils that do not grant this right.
The trade unionists also requested the urgent completion of the draft GEO for the modification of GEO no. 58/2023 relating to awarding the teaching career premium. They were told that the normative act will be finalized in the coming days.
The minister also accepted the establishment of working groups to address all specific problems in the pre-university education system and for the elaboration of draft normative acts. A first normative act analyzed in such a working group will be that of the methodology regarding the organization of the competition for the occupation of management positions in educational units.
At the end, there was good news: it will be done in April payment sumelor related to the 2026 tranche of court sentences.
“Ambiguous promises and answers do not take the place of real solutions to the problems generated by Law no. 141/2025 and not only. That is precisely why our protests must continue.” was the conclusion of the leaders. “The answers of the type “we will analyze” that we received today regarding the reduction of the norm, the number of students in the classroom, salaries, settlement of the commute, etc. are insufficient”, the leaders also sent to the union members, decreeing: “We don’t have to stop here! Next are the simulations for the baccalaureate exam, which we urge you to approach firmly: YES FOR NON-PARTICIPATION!”.
The unions announce that the Government has a short window of time “to repair what he destroyed”, and if the requests of the teachers will be postponed again, “in April we launch the referendum for the strike”, the leaders also mentioned in the internal note.
