2.1. The school year School starts in the middle of September and ends in the middle of June the following year.
It is divided into two semesters (September to January and February to June), with two or three holidays during school year, a summer holiday (The Great Holiday from June to September) between school years, and an additional fifth holiday in November for pupils in the first 4 years.
In total there are 35 school weeks (5 days of school a week) for 172 days of school.
2.2. Pre-school education Pre-school education is optional, can be held in public and private kindergartens and is organized for children aged 3-6 years. In order to better suit the parents' schedules, pre-school education is offered in three types of programs (Monday to Friday):
· Normal program (4 hours a day, typically 8 AM to 1 PM),
· Medium program (7-8 hours a day, typically 8 AM to 3-4 PM),
· Long program (11 hours a day, typically 8 AM to 5-6 PM) .
Children are organized in age groups:
· Lower Group (Grupa Mica) for children aged 3–4.
· Middle Group (Grupa Mijlocie) for children aged 4–5.
· Upper Group (Grupa Mare) for children aged 5–6.
Depending on the program type, a group works with one or two teachers and covers an average of 15 children, but not less than 10 and not more than 20.
In kindergarten testing or giving grades or marks to children is not allowed. That way the system promotes the idea of encouraging and developing a positive self-image and self-confidence of the children allowing them to progress at their own pace.
2.3. Primary education According to the latest amendment to the education law, the ‘School Preparation Group’ or ‘Preparatory Group’ (Pregatire pentru scoala) for children aged 6–7 was inserted as the first stage of the primary education.
Pupils can enroll to the first grade of primary school if they turn 6 or 7 during the respective calendar year. During their four years of study, pupils study mandatory and optional subjects:
· mandatory subjects: Romanian language and literature, Modern languages, Mathematics, Science, Religion, Civics, History, Geography, Music, Sports, Practical skills.
· optional subjects: are certain subjects that the school proposes to students in a particular classes (for example: Romanian language for national minorities).
During the primary education, student evaluation for each discipline is materialized in a rating of:
· ‘insufficient’ meaning failed,
· ‘sufficient’ or ‘satisfactory’ meaning barely passing,
· 'good' and 'very good’ meaning passing.
2.4. Secondary education, professional education, non-university post high-school
2.4.1. Lower-secondary education is compulsory and takes place in two stages:
· Gymnasium or middle-school (lower-secondary): grades V to VIII for pupils aged 10 to 14. It continues the elementary education built in the first four grades.
· Professional education: grades IX-X for pupils between 14-16 years (or that have not yet turned 18). Graduates obtain a level 1 professional qualification.
Gymnasium ends up with the taking of a “national test examination”. The examination tests pupils’ knowledge in the fields of Romanian language and literature and Mathematics. The degree obtained in the national test examination counts for admission to high-school.
For students that after gymnasium do not intend to pursue a high-school education, there is the option to attend a professional school in order to obtain a professional qualification that prepares them for the labor market.
Professional schools in Romania ensure professional qualification in the following fields: Mechanics, Electro-mechanics, Electronics and Automation, Industrial chemistry, Construction materials, Public Constructions and Installations, Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce, Tourism and Food, Food Industry, Manufacture of wood products, Textile and leather industry, Printing techniques, Aesthetics and human body health; Theology.
2.4.2. Upper-secondary education
High-school (upper-secondary) is organized in grades IX-XII and is for pupils aged 14-18/19 years. Grades IX and X are compulsory, grades XI and XII are optional.
Enrollment is made on the basis of the results in the national test exam and the average degree of the gymnasium.
High-schools have the following branches: theoretical, technological and vocational.
· The theoretical branch offers two profiles: real and humanistic.
· The technological branch offers three profiles: technical, services, natural resources and environmental protection.
· The vocational branch has five profiles: military, public order and public security, theological, sports, arts and educational.
The table below presents the specializations in each branch.
Branch
Profile
Specialization
Theoretical
Humanistic
Philology, Social Sciences
Real
Mathematics-Informatics, Natural Sciences
Technological
Technical
Automation and Electronics, Media Production Printing Techniques, Electro-mechanics, Electric, Mechanical, Building Materials, Chemical industries, Construction, Public construction and installations, Manufacturing of wood products, Textiles leather.
Services
Tourism and public food, Trade, Economic, Food Industry
Natural resources and Environmental protection
Environmental protection, Agriculture, Forestry
Vocational
Military
Military-music; Mathematics-Informatics ; Social sciences
Theological
Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical-Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, Adventist, Unitarian, Reformed, Muslim
Sports
54 de discipline sportive de specializare
Arts and education
Architecture, Environmental art and design, Decorative Arts, Choreography, Music, Acting, Teacher, Librarian, Instructor
High school studies end up with a “baccalaureate examination”. After passing this examination, the graduates get the “baccalaureate diploma”. Only students in the technological and vocational branches must take in addition to the baccalaureate examination a “qualification examination” and get a “qualification certificate”.
The baccalaureate exam is organized every year in June. Students who do not pass the baccalaureate exam may repeat it in the fall session (September). The average high-school grade and the average baccalaureate grade count for admission to the university.
2.4.3. Post high-school (non-university)
Provides professional training as technicians in order to work in various specific areas of qualification.
Post high-school education is operated through post-high schools. It lasts 1 to 3 years depending on the complexity of the skill to acquire and it is organized as result of specific skill request coming from businesses and other institutions.
It is normally organized by high-schools that teach technological subjects (technological high-schools) in order to ensure both a more efficient use of existing material base (equipment, school workshops and other resources) and human resources.
Admission is free. High school graduates, whether they are baccalaurate diploma holders or not, can attend post high-school non-university education. For baccalaureate holders credits obtained during the post high-school non university education can be recognized as units of transferable study credits for the university’s first cycle: bachelor degree.
Post-secondary offers specialization in: Mechanics, Informatics, Automation and Electronics, Electro-mechanics, Industrial chemistry, Construction materials, Public Constructions and Installations, Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce, Tourism and Food, Food Industry, Manufacture of wood products, Textile and leather industry, Printing techniques, Aesthetics and human body health; Theology.
In both secondary and post-secondary education, students are evaluated with a 1 to 10 grading system, with 10 being the best, 1 being the worst and 5 the minimum passing grade.
2.5. Admission and tuition fees
In public schools, secondary education does not require any registration and education fees.
As for the students living outside and far from the school, parents must pay for accommodation and meals. In many cases, deserving students are awarded scholarships that cover a good part or all of these costs.
Post high-schools (non-university) education requires tuition fees which are paid by students and/or business and institutions that requested the training. Tuition fees are set by the school to cover the costs of education and training offered. Post-secondary schools may also establish registration fees to cover costs related to admission.
It is divided into two semesters (September to January and February to June), with two or three holidays during school year, a summer holiday (The Great Holiday from June to September) between school years, and an additional fifth holiday in November for pupils in the first 4 years.
In total there are 35 school weeks (5 days of school a week) for 172 days of school.
2.2. Pre-school education Pre-school education is optional, can be held in public and private kindergartens and is organized for children aged 3-6 years. In order to better suit the parents' schedules, pre-school education is offered in three types of programs (Monday to Friday):
· Normal program (4 hours a day, typically 8 AM to 1 PM),
· Medium program (7-8 hours a day, typically 8 AM to 3-4 PM),
· Long program (11 hours a day, typically 8 AM to 5-6 PM) .
Children are organized in age groups:
· Lower Group (Grupa Mica) for children aged 3–4.
· Middle Group (Grupa Mijlocie) for children aged 4–5.
· Upper Group (Grupa Mare) for children aged 5–6.
Depending on the program type, a group works with one or two teachers and covers an average of 15 children, but not less than 10 and not more than 20.
In kindergarten testing or giving grades or marks to children is not allowed. That way the system promotes the idea of encouraging and developing a positive self-image and self-confidence of the children allowing them to progress at their own pace.
2.3. Primary education According to the latest amendment to the education law, the ‘School Preparation Group’ or ‘Preparatory Group’ (Pregatire pentru scoala) for children aged 6–7 was inserted as the first stage of the primary education.
Pupils can enroll to the first grade of primary school if they turn 6 or 7 during the respective calendar year. During their four years of study, pupils study mandatory and optional subjects:
· mandatory subjects: Romanian language and literature, Modern languages, Mathematics, Science, Religion, Civics, History, Geography, Music, Sports, Practical skills.
· optional subjects: are certain subjects that the school proposes to students in a particular classes (for example: Romanian language for national minorities).
During the primary education, student evaluation for each discipline is materialized in a rating of:
· ‘insufficient’ meaning failed,
· ‘sufficient’ or ‘satisfactory’ meaning barely passing,
· 'good' and 'very good’ meaning passing.
2.4. Secondary education, professional education, non-university post high-school
2.4.1. Lower-secondary education is compulsory and takes place in two stages:
· Gymnasium or middle-school (lower-secondary): grades V to VIII for pupils aged 10 to 14. It continues the elementary education built in the first four grades.
· Professional education: grades IX-X for pupils between 14-16 years (or that have not yet turned 18). Graduates obtain a level 1 professional qualification.
Gymnasium ends up with the taking of a “national test examination”. The examination tests pupils’ knowledge in the fields of Romanian language and literature and Mathematics. The degree obtained in the national test examination counts for admission to high-school.
For students that after gymnasium do not intend to pursue a high-school education, there is the option to attend a professional school in order to obtain a professional qualification that prepares them for the labor market.
Professional schools in Romania ensure professional qualification in the following fields: Mechanics, Electro-mechanics, Electronics and Automation, Industrial chemistry, Construction materials, Public Constructions and Installations, Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce, Tourism and Food, Food Industry, Manufacture of wood products, Textile and leather industry, Printing techniques, Aesthetics and human body health; Theology.
2.4.2. Upper-secondary education
High-school (upper-secondary) is organized in grades IX-XII and is for pupils aged 14-18/19 years. Grades IX and X are compulsory, grades XI and XII are optional.
Enrollment is made on the basis of the results in the national test exam and the average degree of the gymnasium.
High-schools have the following branches: theoretical, technological and vocational.
· The theoretical branch offers two profiles: real and humanistic.
· The technological branch offers three profiles: technical, services, natural resources and environmental protection.
· The vocational branch has five profiles: military, public order and public security, theological, sports, arts and educational.
The table below presents the specializations in each branch.
Branch
Profile
Specialization
Theoretical
Humanistic
Philology, Social Sciences
Real
Mathematics-Informatics, Natural Sciences
Technological
Technical
Automation and Electronics, Media Production Printing Techniques, Electro-mechanics, Electric, Mechanical, Building Materials, Chemical industries, Construction, Public construction and installations, Manufacturing of wood products, Textiles leather.
Services
Tourism and public food, Trade, Economic, Food Industry
Natural resources and Environmental protection
Environmental protection, Agriculture, Forestry
Vocational
Military
Military-music; Mathematics-Informatics ; Social sciences
Theological
Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical-Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, Adventist, Unitarian, Reformed, Muslim
Sports
54 de discipline sportive de specializare
Arts and education
Architecture, Environmental art and design, Decorative Arts, Choreography, Music, Acting, Teacher, Librarian, Instructor
High school studies end up with a “baccalaureate examination”. After passing this examination, the graduates get the “baccalaureate diploma”. Only students in the technological and vocational branches must take in addition to the baccalaureate examination a “qualification examination” and get a “qualification certificate”.
The baccalaureate exam is organized every year in June. Students who do not pass the baccalaureate exam may repeat it in the fall session (September). The average high-school grade and the average baccalaureate grade count for admission to the university.
2.4.3. Post high-school (non-university)
Provides professional training as technicians in order to work in various specific areas of qualification.
Post high-school education is operated through post-high schools. It lasts 1 to 3 years depending on the complexity of the skill to acquire and it is organized as result of specific skill request coming from businesses and other institutions.
It is normally organized by high-schools that teach technological subjects (technological high-schools) in order to ensure both a more efficient use of existing material base (equipment, school workshops and other resources) and human resources.
Admission is free. High school graduates, whether they are baccalaurate diploma holders or not, can attend post high-school non-university education. For baccalaureate holders credits obtained during the post high-school non university education can be recognized as units of transferable study credits for the university’s first cycle: bachelor degree.
Post-secondary offers specialization in: Mechanics, Informatics, Automation and Electronics, Electro-mechanics, Industrial chemistry, Construction materials, Public Constructions and Installations, Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce, Tourism and Food, Food Industry, Manufacture of wood products, Textile and leather industry, Printing techniques, Aesthetics and human body health; Theology.
In both secondary and post-secondary education, students are evaluated with a 1 to 10 grading system, with 10 being the best, 1 being the worst and 5 the minimum passing grade.
2.5. Admission and tuition fees
In public schools, secondary education does not require any registration and education fees.
As for the students living outside and far from the school, parents must pay for accommodation and meals. In many cases, deserving students are awarded scholarships that cover a good part or all of these costs.
Post high-schools (non-university) education requires tuition fees which are paid by students and/or business and institutions that requested the training. Tuition fees are set by the school to cover the costs of education and training offered. Post-secondary schools may also establish registration fees to cover costs related to admission.