District schools to be created in 12 districts

Students from settlements with few children will go to a district school that will be attended by students from 4-5 villages. The reform envisions considerable layoffs among teaching staff. The reform implementation stages and risks involved were discussed in a meeting of heads of district education divisions and representatives of trade unions, Info-Prim Neo reports. Dumitru Ivanov, chairman of the General Board of the Education and Science Trade Union, said the education division heads are faced with a difficult task given the expected changes. “The number of teachers will be essentially reduced, while 12 districts will have district schools that will incorporate by 4-5 rural schools. The Ministry of Education is ready to purchase 75 new buses that will take the children to school,” said Dumitru Ivanov. In another development, he said the teachers who want a bonus to the salary must be obligatorily accredited. Once in five years, they must confirm the didactic degree obtained by accreditation so as not to lose it. Adrian Ghicov, director of the Assessment and Examination Agency, said training seminars for Baccalaureate Center heads and secretaries will take place during May 17-20. The Baccalaureate exams and graduation exams in secondary schools will start at 9am all over the county and will be taken in written form. “The works of the ninth and eleventh graders will be checked at District Assessment Centers. Every work will be graded by a teacher. The Baccalaureate exam papers will be checked at National Assessment Centers,” said Adrian Ghicov. As many as 31,582 students will take Baccalaureate exams this year, 25,295 of whom in Romanian, while the rest in Russian.