Education: Authorities Discover Exam Absenteeism

Education authorities have noted, after a prolonged period, that many graduates do not show up for important exams, the National Assessment and the Baccalaureate. Better late than never applies in this case as well. The Ministry of Education has transmitted measures to the School Inspectorates to be implemented in schools, following reports on students' non-participation in the National Assessment and the Baccalaureate. Some of these measures include organizing and implementing an adapted and intensive remedial learning program, monitoring student attendance, and taking measures to prevent and reduce absenteeism. The Education Research Unit within the National Center for Policies and Evaluation in Education, an institution under the Ministry of Education, has published research reports on students' non-participation in the National Assessment for the eighth grade and the 2023 Baccalaureate exam. Minister of Education Ligia Deca stated, "This is the first time we have research studies on the causes of non-participation in national exams-a complex phenomenon influenced by a variety of factors. I thank the Education Research Unit for creating this essential tool in designing appropriate public policy interventions: these must be evidence-based and based on the recommendations of researchers in the field.'

The Ministry of Education has transmitted a series of measures to be implemented in schools, including organizing and implementing an adapted and intensive "Remedial Learning' program on a weekly basis for students in the terminal years who had a general average lower than 7 in the previous school year, to prepare for the National Assessment and the Baccalaureate exam; monitoring student attendance and taking measures to prevent and reduce absenteeism, including introducing a system to monitor students' school attendance and providing continuous information to their families. Reporting cases of high absenteeism to public social assistance services and collaborating with them for the reintegration of students into classes; supporting county and Bucharest School Inspectorates in implementing externally funded projects (PNRAS, ROSE) to leverage their activities and resources for preventing school dropout and improving results in national exams.