Single baccalaureate,possibility for highschools to organize entry exams before National Evaluation - Educated Romania proposals

A single baccalaureate exam focused on minimal competencies, regardless of education form, and the possibility for high schools, where demand exceeds offer, to organize entry exams before the National Evaluation, are among the proposals of the project "Educated Romania", which is in the stage of concluding consultations. Presidential adviser Ligia Deca explained, on Tuesday, that the Educated Romania project proposes a national baccalaureate exam focused on minimal competencies. The single baccalaureate, on the Pisa model, will be available also to professional education graduates. "We do not desire a thousand variations of the Baccalaureate," said the presidential adviser. Ligia Deca showed that another proposal of the Educated Romania project focuses on the possibility for high schools where there is a large demand to organize an entry exam before the National Evaluation (e.n. - finishing exam at the end of gymnasium - 8th grade, the results of which determine entry to high school). "It's an open discussion. We do not desire sudden changes through Educated Romania project," the presidential adviser showed. In what regards high school education, there will be three routes - theoretical, professional and vocational - with the same length (four years). Transfer between the routes can be done between years, being focused on competencies. "If during high school the child discovers an inclination to another route, he should know what exams he has to take," said Deca. On the professional route, there is the variant of obtaining a professional certification after 11th grade, the presidential adviser also explained. The Educated Romania project also provides for the possibility of local authorities unable to ensure all that is necessary for the functioning of schools to transfer responsibility to the County Council. The project includes several targets, among them decreasing the rate of dropping out, to a level of at most 10 pct, the reduction by 50 pct at least of the current rate of functional illiteracy, so that, in the 2030 horizon, it reaches a maximum of 20%, all teachers have basic digital competencies, including teaching through digital instruments - digital literacy, at least 85% of 8th grade pupils have basic digital competencies and a minimum of 40% of youths with ages between 30 and 34 years old be higher education graduates. Presidential adviser Ligia Deca explained that the Educated Romania project is a vision and not a law and that the Government will adopt, next week, a memorandum by which it assumes concrete deadlines regarding the project. "In a window of 2 years we should have the first concrete steps," said Deca. President Klaus Iohannis is having, Monday through Wednesday, a series of consultations with the political environment and social partners on the topic of the Educated Romania project, in the context of the public debate ending. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Simona Iacob)