Romania faces education crisis following poor PISA test results

Romania is facing significant challenges in its education system following the latest PISA test results from the OECD. The data reveals that a large portion of 15-year-old students fail to meet minimum competency levels. Specifically, 52% of Romanian students fall below the minimum threshold in Mathematics, 48% in Reading, and 46% in Science. The report also highlights a lack of high-performing students, with only 1% reaching top levels in Reading.

In response to these findings, interim Education Minister Mihai Dimian has acknowledged the need for recovery, noting a decline in academic rigor. Discussions regarding reforms include making remedial classes mandatory for students with low grades and transforming certain educational models. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding school infrastructure, such as overcrowding; Dimian noted that his own child's class contains 30 students, exceeding the legal limit of 24.

Other issues facing the sector include the perception of dual education being associated with the communist era and calls from political figures for parliamentary inquiries into the long-term evolution of Romania's PISA performance.