Romania is already paying a high price for the low literacy level of children, and the effects will be seen more and more clearly in the economy, on the labor market and in the country’s capacity for innovation. In this context, a broad national campaign tries to combat one of the most serious structural problems of the educational system: functional illiteracy.
Romania ranks last in the European Union in terms of book consumption, and only 7% of the population is considered an active reading public. In the last ten years, more than 1,460 public libraries have been closed, almost 15% of the national total. Although most libraries are in rural areas, they hold just over a fifth of the book stock, often out of date or unattractive to children.
The imbalances are already reflected in schools. PISA studies show that one in two children do not understand what they read, and six out of ten teachers do not have access to current books for their lessons. Essential skills such as critical thinking, creativity and analytical ability are affected by overburdened school curricula.
According to UNICEF, each additional year of truly relevant schooling increases a young person’s future earnings by around 8%, a clear indicator that the investment in education is also an economic one, not just a social one.
“Fitness for Children’s Minds,” A Response to the Reading Crisis
To respond to this reality, Digital Nation, the InfinitEdu Association and the Bosch Romania Foundation, together with publishing houses, bookstores and cultural institutions, launched the national campaignă “Fitness for children’s minds”the largest initiative dedicated to promoting reading and training children’s thinking in Romania.
“Fitness for children’s minds” is rightly described by the organizers “a collective impact campaign that transforms daily reading into an exercise in dialogue, reflection and authentic learning”, according to a statement. The project brings together parents, teachers, grandparents and local communities, with the aim of integrating reading into children’s daily routine and using it as a tool for intellectual development.
The first results indicate an increased interest: more than 15,000 parents, grandparents and teachers have been actively involved, thousands of children have participated in live reading sessions, and more and more companies are hosting literacy workshops for employees.
Reading as a long-term investment
The campaign runs over six weeks and includes activities in schools and kindergartens, free workshops for adults, weekly read-aloud sessions, cultural events and national competitions. Organizers promote three simple, research-backed routines: daily reading aloud for 15 minutes, stimulating curiosity before reading, and relevant questions after reading.
The estimated impact is more than one million minutes of reading aloud and the involvement of more than a thousand teachers and parents from all over the country.
Public message for parents and teachers
The initiative is also supported by public figures such as Dana Rogoz, Alex Dima and Felicia Filip, who convey a common message: reading with children is one of the simplest and most effective exercises for the development of thinking.
By partnering with Children’s Comedy Opera and involving local communities, organizers hope that “Fitness for Children’s Minds” will become more than a temporary campaign.
