The Romanian Geographical Society, outraged by the draft framework plan for high school

The Romanian Geographical Society warns that the discipline Geography ""has disappeared'' from the subjects studied in grades 11 and 12, according to the draft framework plan for high school launched for public debate by the Ministry of Education and Research. In an open letter from the association addressed to the Minister of Education and Research, Daniel David, the SGR states:

""Just as the Romanian Geographical Society is preparing the 150th anniversary of its founding and receiving confirmations of participation from dozens of great geographical personalities from around the world, we learn with surprise that Geography has simply disappeared from the subjects studied in grades 11 and 12, according to the new draft framework plan for high school, launched for public debate. Geography is the discipline that has lost the most hours in pre-university education since 1990, although there is more and more talk about globalization, climate change, industrial revolutions, territorial disparities, geopolitics, pollution, territorial planning, etc.''. The signatories request that Geography be kept in the common core in grades 11 and 12, due to its importance in the education of students: ""critical thinking, understanding the world we live in, nature in general''.

""With the diplomas and prizes won in international competitions - Geography Olympiads, Earth Sciences - we can symbolically surround the entire border of Romania. No other discipline has brought so many international prizes and so much international visibility to Romanian schools. (...) This decision taken by a group of so-called experts, a group of which no geographer was part and, therefore, they were unable to present their point of view, is inexplicable and sad", the letter highlights. According to the signatories, values such as the formation of a culture, of an identity consciousness are no longer possible given that Geography is no longer a subject of study in grades 11 and 12: "The consequences will be dramatic in the long term on the formation of the student. Geography is more than a science about the Earth and about man. Geography is a fundamental science among the natural sciences, with an essential role in the formation of both a general culture, but also of practical skills usable in everyday life. Geography is an applied science that forms and develops respect for democratic values. (...) A people who do not know their History are condemned to repeat it, a people who do not know their Geography are condemned to uprooting and losing their identity".

• State Secretary's clarifications

The State Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Research, Bogdan Cristescu, explained, referring to the framework plans put out for consultation, that no discipline was eliminated: ""One of the things we feel the need to clarify is that the definition of the common core has been modified. So, we ask our fellow teachers that when they look at these framework plans, they should no longer look at the common core with the same eyes with which they look at the common core in force. The Education Law modified the common core and then this common core is valid for all high school students in Romania, unlike the current situation, in force, when the common core was characteristic only of the branches. (...) Through the proposal for the draft framework plan, the common core is unique to everyone''. According to the State Secretary, ""no discipline was removed, in no way were the disciplines eliminated or removed''. ""What was done was to remove the same, unique mandatory character for all students in terms of content,'' Cristescu said.

• Daniel David will pay special attention to curriculum development

The Minister of Education, Daniel David, announced in a post on his personal blog that ""special'' attention will be paid to the development of the curriculum related to culture and national identity, through collaboration with the main actors in the field, mainly with the Romanian Academy. Daniel David stated that he presented the strategy for consultation and public debate of the draft framework plans for high school education to the governing coalition. The collection of proposals will be done until March 6, 2025, along with a series of national debates. According to the minister, the draft framework plans will be adapted based on the proposals received to express ""a modernization'' of Education in the country, widely accepted in the system, which will put the student at the center, support teachers and leave room for the involvement of parents and society.