Open letter calls for rebuilding Romanian education system

Over 300 teachers, researchers, artists and journalists from Romania and the diaspora have so far signed the open letter 'Stop austerity in education - 5 principles for rebuilding the Romanian education system,' which proposes key principles for a modern, fair and European-standard-aligned education system, agerpres reports.

The initiators of the document argue that education is not an expense, but the only investment that guarantees Romania's future.

'We firmly believe that it is not effective to reduce the risk of default by creating even bigger problems through education cuts. On the contrary, this governmental approach against education leads to an even more disastrous amplification of the crisis,' the letter's signatories maintain.

They propose the following principles for rebuilding education:

* Education as a national priority - the foundation of democracy and sustainable development;

* The state as a guarantor of equal access to education - no child left behind;

* Fair funding - 6% of GDP for education and 1% for research;

* Alignment with European standards - values, access to culture, real support for pupils and teachers (after-school programmes and hot meals for all);

* Rebuilding the status of teachers - competitive salaries, legislative stability and social recognition.

'These five principles are a response to an educational crisis that can no longer be ignored. Romania spends only a little over 3% of its GDP on education, while the European average exceeds 5%. One in four children drops out before high school, and the number of university graduates is among the lowest in the EU. Meanwhile, teachers are leaving the system, and young people are no longer entering the profession, discouraged by low salaries and instability. Instead of addressing these vulnerabilities, the government is opting for school mergers, overcrowded classrooms and job cuts - measures that solve nothing and deepen the crisis. Austerity in education doesn't save money, on the contrary, it generates long-term social, economic and democratic costs,' reads a statement the Alliance for Education sent to AGERPRES on Thursday.

According to the same source, education cannot be reduced to a 'mere accounting calculation'.

The letter, as its signatories affirm, is a manifesto for schools, for democracy and for the future.

'The government has announced and taken measures that result in insignificant savings for the national budget but endanger the future of an entire generation: school mergers, overcrowded classes, reductions of specialist and support staff, and overburdening of teachers. This Alliance for Education is a civic initiative with no political affiliation, made up of teachers, researchers, parents, artists and cultural figures, and it warns that these policies will increase school dropout rates, lower the quality of education, and, not least, weaken democracy and Romania's economy,' the statement also reads.

Among the first signatories are writers Gabriela Adamesteanu, Mircea Cartarescu, Lavinia Braniste and Alex Tocilescu; directors Radu Jude, Bogdan Muresanu, Botond Nagy, Monica Stan, Oana Giurgiu, Eugen Jebeleanu, Catinca Draganescu and Emanuel Parvu; cultural manager Corina Suteu; producer Ada Solomon; actors Ada Gales, Alex Bogdan, Lia Bugnar, Andi Vasluianu, Katia Pascariu, Ilinca Manolache and Anghel Damian; vlogger Silviu Istrate; journalists Victor Ilie, Mihai Radu and Luiza Vasiliu; and artists Lia and Dan Perjovschi, along with many other artists, political scientists, teachers and researchers from both Romania and abroad.