Romania has among the shortest school years among EU countries and the lowest number of hours that children spend in school, says former Minister of Education Daniel Funeriu. Today, a member of the body of experts of the European Commission that assists the Government of the Republic of Moldova, Funeriu declared that a German student who finishes 12th grade will spend 2 and a half years in school more than a Romanian child who finishes 12th grade, which is why parents and teachers say the curriculum is busy. “You can’t have 3 months of summer vacation and be as well prepared as someone who has only one month. The only thing that would produce an effect for children would be to extend the school year”, said Daniel Funeriu, former Minister of Education, in the Info Edu show, on TVR+, when asked about the structure of the school year in Romania.
“If we want to reduce the inequity in the system by extending the school year, all studies show that this is the main measure,” added Daniel Funeriu.
We reproduce the discussion from the Info Edu show, on TVR+:
“Moderator: Should it be quarters, semesters or modules?
Daniel Funeral: It is irrelevant. The only thing that would have an effect on children would be to extend the school year. Romania has the shortest school year, the lowest number of hours children spend in school.
A German student who finishes 12th grade will have spent 2 and a half years in school more than a Romanian child who finishes 12th grade, and this gives all parents the impression that the curriculum is loaded. No, folks, the syllabus is not loaded. It’s more relaxed than in Germany. Trust me, I have kids in school there. It’s just that they have 20% more school time than we do. And then it is obvious that in Romania this impression is created of a permanent running after the schedule.(…)”
