Students criticize the government program

Students entered 2025 with a sharper critical spirit than the one manifested in the recent period. The National Alliance of Student Organizations of Romania (ANOSR) criticizes the Government Program for the period 2024-2028, adopted by the Romanian Government, stating "with disappointment" that only a fifth of the students' proposals were integrated at least in a partial form, at least at thematic level, within it. ANOSR launched in the public space, an analysis of the content of the Government Program for the period 2024-2028, adopted with the inauguration of the new Romanian Government, in order to assess to what extent the proposals submitted by the federation, together with the National Council of Students and the Youth Council of Romania, were integrated, within the campaign "We know what we want, but who will take responsibility?". According to ANOSR: "We note with disappointment that for the coalition leaders, the aspirations of pupils, students and young people do not represent a priority on the governing agenda. Of the total of 154 specific proposals submitted in the public space, only 32 of them, respectively 20.7%, were integrated at least in a partial form, at least at thematic level, within the 2024-2028 Governing Program." According to the cited source, regarding the rest of the content of the strategic document addressed directly to pupils, students and young people, "ignoring the proposals submitted" by them, the situation is "equally critical": "In this sense, the higher education system appears to be the least priority in terms of the strategic development measures that are intended to be implemented, given the fact that within the sectoral program of the Ministry of Education and Research, out of a total of 106 measures, only 21 of these, respectively 19.81%, are addressed directly and not necessarily exclusively to students". ANOSR criticizes the absence of "firm commitments regarding compliance with the provisions of Laws no. 199/2023 and no. 198/2023 regarding ensuring the financing of the national education system with at least 15% of the general consolidated budget expenditures, as well as the fact that certain essential subjects for higher education, such as the social dimension, ethics and academic integrity, student participation in the decision-making process, have been almost completely ignored or treated superficially". According to the students: "In relation to the youth sector, we notice that it enjoys a greater number of measures assumed by the governments, as the sectoral program of the relevant ministry provides for 37 measures specifically intended to support young people, out of a total of 92, representing a percentage of 40.22% of the total. However, similar to the case of higher education, certain topics of particular importance for the youth field, such as the participation of young people in decision-making and consultative processes at the national level, the establishment of youth centers and the provision of sufficient funds to support the activity of organizations of and for youth, have been omitted".

Thus, ANOSR requests the members of the Executive to fully review the proposals of pupils, students and young people, as well as this analysis and "to integrate them with speed" into other programmatic documents, strategies or plans of the Government, the Ministry of Education and Research or the Ministry of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, as the case may be.