Union initiative: national consultation caravan on the framework plans for high school

The Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education (FSLI) has announced the launch of a national consultation caravan on the new framework plans for high school. The initiative will take place between February 11 and 27, 2025, covering Bucharest and 19 county capitals. The aim of the initiative is to give teachers, high school principals and school inspectors the opportunity to express their views on the future structure of high school education.

• An unprecedented consultative approach

FSLI stresses that any reform in education must be carried out with the direct involvement of teachers. "We cannot make changes from a pen, from in front of a desk, without going directly to the teachers, whom we must listen to and consult," said Simion Hancescu, president of FSLI. The caravan will reach cities such as Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi, Constanţa, Braşov and Ploieşti, offering teachers a framework for debate, exchange of ideas and formulation of concrete proposals for the reform of high school education. At the end of this process, FSLI will centralize all suggestions and send the Ministry of Education a detailed document with the teachers' recommendations.

• Proposed changes for high school education

According to the draft framework plans prepared by the Ministry of Education, the school year would be organized into five modules and have 36 school weeks (34 for students in grade 12). Among the main proposed changes are: Introducing a common core of mandatory subjects, as well as subjects of the student's choice, depending on the school's offer; Reducing the share of mandatory subjects from 65% in the first two years of high school to approximately 25% in recent years; Increasing students' autonomy in choosing courses, so that they can personalize their educational path according to their interests.

• Reactions and controversies

The Minister of Education, Daniel David, stated that the Romanian education system is too centralized and that "there is a lot of teaching, bad and very centralized." He criticized the fact that almost 50% of 12th grade students suffer from functional illiteracy in the area of numeracy, which raises questions about the effectiveness of the current curriculum. The unions criticized the Ministry's lack of transparency in forming the working groups for the development of the framework plans, complaining that they were not consulted in advance. In response, Ministry officials stated that there is a consultation phase and that the unions will have the opportunity to express their views within it.

The FSLI caravan represents a unique opportunity for teachers across the country to actively participate in the reform of high school education. The coming weeks will be essential for defining a clear and realistic vision for the future of education in Romania.