Education and Training Monitor 2024

1. Learning for sustainability

Romania has recently stepped-up measures to facilitate learning for sustainability. In January 2023, Romania adopted a National Strategy on Education for the Environment and Climate Change 2023-2030. While the accompanying action plan is still being developed, the goal is to deliver a national programme to help school students develop knowledge, skills and behaviours to mitigate and adapt to climate change and promote environmental protection (Ministry of Education, 2023a). Embedding the concept of learning for sustainability in initial and continuing teacher education is also envisaged, alongside promoting a culture of sustainability in schools. Learning for sustainability is already a cross-curricular topic (e.g. in geography, social education, civic education (European Commission, 2024a), and is also taught in dedicated subjects, such as the optional ‘Education for climate change’. For the second consecutive year, all schools and preschools organised a ‘Green week’ on climate-related topics. Since May 2024, a whole-school approach to sustainability is being piloted. The National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania (ANOSR) ran a dedicated campaign in 2024, concluding that there is an increasing number of relevant initiatives in higher education; however, very few universities have dedicated strategies and develop their own regular monitoring of sustainability (ANOSR, 2024).

There is scope to improve Romanian students’ knowledge of sustainable development. The 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), which predates the 2023 Strategy and its follow-up, showed that 41.2% of schools surveyed offered all or nearly all their 8th grade students opportunities to take part in activities related to environmental sustainability (EU-17¹: 48%) (Schulz et al., 2023). 52.1% of Romanian teachers surveyed reported taking part in training courses to address environmental issues in their initial preparation or in continuing professional development (EU-17: 53%). In the ICCS study, Romanian students scored below the EU-17 average on knowledge of sustainable development².

EU funds are supporting the development of green competences and skills. Romania is setting up a network of green schools that combine green infrastructure with curricula and pedagogies largely based on learning for sustainability. Support under the national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) is available for renovations (e.g. thermal insulation, solar panels, laboratories of nature sciences, green spaces, and facilities for selective waste collection), building new schools and purchasing more than 1 200 electric minibuses, especially for students from isolated areas. Furthermore, the RE-CRED project (See Section 3), financed by the European Social Fund + (ESF+), also aims, alongside its priorities, to strengthen green competences in school curricula.

The advancement of skills for the green economy through initial and continuing vocational education and training (VET) is gaining momentum. In 2023, the Ministry of Education developed professional training standards and curricula for five new ‘green’ qualifications, which include ‘photovoltaic systems electrician’ and ‘urban gardener’. The NRRP is helping modernise VET, including in the agri-food sector, which is key to encouraging sustainable agricultural practices. Moreover, in the construction field, labour authorities are currently piloting a scheme of individual learning accounts to facilitate upskilling programmes. Through the NRRP’s REPowerEU component, occupational standards in renewable energy production are to be developed or updated by the end of 2024, and training to be provided to at least 4 000 workers in renewable energy production by 2026. A national strategy on green jobs covering 2018-2025 is in place but requires updating given the fast-evolving needs of the green economy.

2. Early childhood education and care

The participation rate for children over the age of 3 in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is low and declining, but some efforts are made to improve the situation. In 2022, enrolment among children aged 3 to the starting age of compulsory primary education fell to 74.8%, or by 0.8 pps compared to the previous year³, and by 9.8 pps compared to 2015. Romania’s participation rate is significantly below the EU average (93.1%) and the EU-level target of 96% by 2030. Participation in ECEC is significantly lower for the Roma – with only 27% enrolled in 2021 (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022) – and in rural areas. The gap⁴ in participation between urban and rural areas, where 43% of Romania’s population lives, is widening due to socio-economic and access challenges, including long walking distances between home and kindergarten (Ministry of Education, 2023b). The NRRP is financing the set-up of at least 90 complementary early childhood education services in isolated and disadvantaged localities, while ESF+ is supporting the expansion of early education services. The NRRP further includes a large-scale teacher training programme, currently being developed, to help implement the specific curriculum and monitor quality.

Figure 1. Participation of children in ECEC (from age 3 to the starting age of compulsory education) in 2013 and 2022 (%)

The participation rate for children under the age of 3 in ECEC is low but improving. In 2023, 12.3% of Romanian children aged 0-3 attended formal childcare⁵. The figure is low compared with the EU average of 37.4% and Romania’s national Barcelona target of 22.5% by 2030. Nevertheless, the number of establishments accommodating children below the age of 3 is increasing (Ministry of Education, 2023b). The NRRP is expected to finance the set-up of at least 110 creches.

3. School education

The level of basic skills among young Romanians is low, with consequences for competitiveness, employment and innovation potential in the country. According to the 2022 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), 48.6% of Romanian 15-year-olds lack a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, with 41.7% underperforming in reading and 44% in sciences (OECD, 2023a). These underachievement rates are among the highest in the EU and significantly above the EU averages, which have also worsened, reaching 29.5% in mathematics, 26.2% in reading, and 24.2% in science. Furthermore, Romania’s low shares of top-performing students in the PISA test represent another obstacle for increasing productivity and future innovation capacity (4.0% in mathematics vs EU: 7.9%; 2.0% in reading vs EU: 6.5%; and 1.4% in sciences vs EU: 6.9%). The percentage of students with insufficient basic skills increased substantially compared to 2012, especially in mathematics (7.7 pps, EU: 7.3 pps) and sciences (6.7 pps, EU: 7.4 pps), with a deterioration visible also in reading (4.5 pps, EU: 8.2 pps) (European Commission, 2024b). Compared to 2018, the increase in low achievement among Romanian students has been less significant. In addition, only 47.5% of students aged 16-19 have basic or above basic digital skills (EU: 66.4%⁶).

Romania’s poor PISA results reflect structural challenges for the quality and equity of education and training. Over time, underfunding in education has negatively affected the attractiveness of the profession and learning outcomes. Most of Romania’s current schoolteachers benefited from only a little pedagogical preparation in initial teacher education (OECD, 2017; OECD, 2020). Previous studies have shown that although Romanian teachers regularly took part in training courses, they perceived the course on offer as insufficiently adapted to their needs (IȘE, 2018). Effective implementation of the 2013 competence-based curricula at primary and lower secondary levels was impacted by delays with the accompanying teacher training and weak monitoring. Moreover, the complexity of the curriculum at lower secondary level poses challenges especially in rural areas where teachers often cover multiple subjects to ensure a full teaching norm. In particular, the educational disadvantages associated with Romania having the highest at-risk-of-poverty or exclusion rate in the EU (34.4 % in 2022 vs EU: 21.6%) have a negative impact on results. 57.8% of students from the poorest quartile lack a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, reading and science simultaneously, compared to only 9% of their more advantaged peers. Half of Roma children attend segregated schools where all or most of the pupils are Roma (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022). Moreover, the incidence of bullying and distractions due to use of mobile phones might also affect results.

Fragmentation of the school network affects learning outcomes and the efficiency of spending in education. In the 2022/2023 school year, 7 386 schools, or 45% of total, operated with less than 50 children (Ministry of Finance, 2023). A number of 3 509 schools had less than 20 pupils. Small schools generally struggle to offer quality education, operating with shortages of teachers and equipment. These are mainly located in rural areas, are satellites and the majority (78%) are kindergartens, enrolling almost 123 000 pre-school children (almost a quarter of the total number of pre-school children⁷). Small schools are spread across 4 705 localities, of which 4 197 are villages, with 32% having more than two small schools in the same village, nearby each other. While there is need to further consolidate the school network, equity challenges need to be considered.

Recent measures aim to improve educational outcomes. Romania is developing a national programme to improve key competences (See Box 1). Through the RE-CRED project, the ESF+ will help implement the planned curricular reform in upper secondary education, in particular the necessary teacher training. In addition, the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) will help Romania improve the way it monitors the implementation of the school curriculum at local, county and central level. The project will develop learning practices and schools’ capacities to promote effective teaching and learning. Furthermore, the NRRP is providing support for the development of open and inclusive educational resources for pupils. The NRRP is also funding the set-up of school laboratories, including for sciences, and smarts labs for digital skills learning, to improve learning outcomes. Romania has increased the number of school counsellors and established counselling offices in small and medium-sized schools. The number of speech therapists, itinerant and support teachers has also increased.

Early school leaving remains high. In 2023, the percentage of early leavers from education and training among 18-24 years-olds increased to 16.6%⁸. The figure is significantly above the EU average (9.5%) and the EU-level target of less than 9% by 2030. Early school leaving remains particularly high in rural areas (27.5%)⁹, but also in towns and suburbs (14.3%), compared to only 3.3% in cities, and is also high for the Roma (Fundamental Rights Agency, 2022). While annual dropout rates have decreased over the decade, they remain high and are more than double in rural areas. Compared to the start of the pandemic, dropout rates have increased in rural areas at the starting level of primary education (grades 0 and 1¹⁰)(Ministry of Education, 2023b), requiring measures to improve foundational learning and provide remedial education. At the same time, the recent decrease in dropout rates recorded in lower secondary education (See Figure 2) may be linked to recent measures, including EU-financed remedial education. Social scholarships and the Hot Meal Programme also aim to fight early school leaving.

Figure 2. Average annual drop-out rate in lower-secondary education (Grade 5-8), 2014/2015 - 2021/2022 (%)

Implementation of the national programme to reduce school dropout is well underway with NRRP support. More than 2.250 schools that have a high number of students at risk of dropout have received grants to prevent school dropout by organising remedial education and social support measures, as well as extra-curricular activities. Similar support in primary education is planned under the ESF+ for 2021-2027. Nevertheless, considering that 24% of children from rural areas and 14% of children in urban areas are outside the school system (Ministry of Finance, 2023), specific reach-out measures are needed for enrolling children and bringing them back into the school system.

Implementing the new pre-university education law effectively is key for addressing challenges for the teaching profession. The new law introduced the obligation for new teachers to follow a Master’s programme in pedagogics, a revised system of continuous professional development, and a new teacher competence framework to guide teacher education, career development and certification (See European Commission, 2023). Ageing trends among Romanian teachers are less pronounced than on average in the EU. Only 16.3% of Romanian school teachers were older than 55 in 2022 (EU average: 24.8%). Following a national strike, teacher salaries increased on average by 25% in 2023, with a further increase at the beginning of 2024. As a result, the average salary in education climbed to 113% of the national average in March 2024, compared to 93% before the strike¹¹.

Achieving the ambitions of the pre-university education law requires strategic decisions to strengthen governance, evaluation and support systems. A technical report (OECD, 2024) developed under the EU’s Technical Support Instrument aims to guide the Ministry of Education in implementing key aspects of the pre-university education law. The report makes recommendations to effectively deliver the novel inspection role of the quality assurance agency and the envisaged supportive role of inspectorates. It elaborates on the need to revise school funding, support mechanisms to advance policy priorities and reorganise the school network. On teaching, the report recommends reviewing the teacher pay system to strengthen the link between responsibility and performance, rather than reflect seniority, and reconsider the merit-based allowance, which incentivises practices that undermine the envisioned student-centred pedagogy. It further suggests reducing the complexity of additional teaching allowances and review planned reforms to teacher certification and promotion appraisals to focus more centrally on teaching practice. Actions to strengthen and scale-up the national teacher mentorship scheme and develop a culture of teacher-led professional learning within schools are also proposed. Furthermore, the report puts forward ways to develop monitoring and evaluation, including through performance indicators, better reporting, and making national assessment fit for purpose. The reform of the governance of the pre-university education system and the professionalisation of managers and inspectors is implemented with the support of the NRRP.

4. Vocational education and training

There are challenges in ensuring the quality of vocational education and training (VET). In 2022, 61.7% of students in medium-level education were enrolled in vocational programmes, above the EU average of 52.4%¹². To encourage participation in VET, students choosing this route who meet minimum conditions of attendance and academic success receive a monthly technological scholarship. Its value increased by 50%, reaching RON 300. At the beginning of the 2023/2024 school year, there were more than 82 500 recipients. Despite this incentive, school dropout among VET students is still considerably higher than at general upper secondary level (Ministry of Education, 2023b). Furthermore, the PISA results show a large performance gap between students in general education and those in VET.

Romania is taking steps to improve the labour market relevance of VET. In 2023, only 66.2% of recent graduates were employed, below the EU average of 81%¹³. Ensuring that more VET graduates benefit from work-based learning during their training (only 8.1% did so in 2023 vs EU: 64.5%) is essential to improve their employment prospects after graduation. In the 2022/2023 school year, 4 207 partnership contracts were concluded between VET schools and economic operators, this number having increased after a sharp drop during the pandemic. The partnership contracts aim to improve cooperation between VET institutions and the labour market and include providing human and material resources to train students for their future occupations. In 2023, a EUR 100 million ESF+ call was launched to support traineeships for more than 40 000 pupils in vocational, technical and dual education.

A skills forecasting mechanism has been operating since December 2023, enabling a better adaptation of the VET offer to the needs of the economy. Through the ESF-funded ReCONECT project, the Public Employment Service has developed a skills intelligence system, which includes tracking VET graduates, anticipating skills needs, and monitoring and evaluating active employment measures and VET policies. It is now crucial that authorities involved in the VET system use these resources to support evidence-based reforms and better match VET provision with rapidly changing labour market needs.

5. Higher education

Tertiary educational attainment is low. In 2023, the proportion of people aged 25-34 with a tertiary degree fell to 22.5%. This is significantly below the EU average of 43.1%¹⁴ and the EU-level target of 45%. Contrary to upward European trends, tertiary attainment has not improved over the last decade. It is limited by a low level of participation in higher education, high dropout rates from university programmes¹⁵ and emigration. Until the 2019/2020 academic year, the graduation rate from Bachelor programmes was on a slight upward trend but fell somewhat during the periods of remote learning¹⁶, while dropout and repetition rates recorded a slight increase during the pandemic (Ministry of Education, 2023c). There were only 18.6 graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) per 1 000 people aged 20-29 in 2022 (EU: 23.0), despite the relative high share of STEM graduates.

Participation in higher education is improving slightly but remains constrained by structural factors. In the 2022/2023 academic year, 43% of those aged 19-23 were studying. Despite an improvement in recent years, participation has been limited by the persistence of early school leaving and a still considerable percentage of students not taking this exam, with socio-economic background a major determinant (Education Research Unit, 2023). Low levels of parental education and low levels of parental involvement are additional factors leading to disengagement from school and non-participation. Nevertheless, the passing rate at the baccalaureate exam has been increasing¹⁷. Two new national programmes aim to improve participation rates and reduce drop-out in higher education (See Box 2). At the same time, the share of international students rose to 7.4% in 2022, 4.5 percentage points more compared to 2014 (Ministry of Education, 2023c). Calculations¹⁸ show that in 2022, 5.7% of Romania’s tertiary graduates got their degree abroad. Of those who studied in Romania only 1.0% went abroad for a short period during their studies, compared with the EU average of 6.7%.

Recent measures aim to improve the quality and labour market relevance of higher education. To implement the full dual route, from upper secondary to tertiary education, Romania launched a pilot project for dual VET consortia to enable cooperation between universities, VET high schools, professional schools and employers. 29 consortia are currently being set-up, including with RRF funding. (Ministry of Education 2023c). Under the NRRP, 61 universities, or 70% of all Romanian universities, have received digitalisation grants aimed, among other things, at improving the digital ecosystem, facilitating curricular revision and improving the digital skills of staff and students. Steps were taken to strengthen academic ethics and implement graduate tracking. Furthermore, with NRRP support, canteens, student dormitories, and recreational and reading places are being expanded and modernised. ESF+ is also providing support to increase internationalisation of higher education and updating the educational offer to the demands of the labour market.

6. Adult learning

The involvement of adults in learning is improving, but participation differs considerably among population groups. Adult participation (aged 25-64) in learning over the past 12 months increased to 19.1% in 2022 (vs 5.8% in 2016), and surpassed the 2030 national skills target of 17.4%, but it is still only half the EU average (39.5%)¹⁹. Participation is much higher for those living in cities (29.7%), compared to rural areas (11.2%). People with low-level qualifications (ISCED 0-2) and those outside of the labour market hardly ever participate in learning (3.9% and 6.4%, respectively). With the increased demand for higher skills in Romania’s labour market (Cedefop, 2023), there is an urgent need to step up skills activation measures to avoid further labour shortages, especially for digital skills. In parallel, those who are less qualified face growing challenges (i.e. the unemployment rate is rising for this group), highlighting the need for skills policies that target disadvantaged groups and prevent inequalities from worsening. Through the ESF+ project ‘Basic package for people without/with low level of education’²⁰, launched in 2024, around 45 000 people are expected to benefit from personalised services to help them acquire basic Romanian language, mathematics and digital skills.

Romania has established a strategic framework that sets priorities, targets and measures for adult learning. The government has recently adopted two national strategies for the sector: in December 2023, the National Strategy for Adult Training for 2023-2027 (Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity), and in May 2024, the National Strategy for the Lifelong Learning of Adults for 2024-2030 (Ministry of Education). Due to the split governance of the sector, two distinct strategies were drawn up to enable implementation by each Ministry. Complementarity was ensured with common targets and policy framework, such as the European skills agenda, as well as close cooperation between the ministries during the drafting process. Both strategies place great emphasis on upskilling disadvantaged and under-represented groups in the labour market, as well as on developing green and digital skills. However, policy responses consist mainly of projects co-funded by the EU.