Romania education system under scrutiny over teacher cheating and new grading reform

Inspector Lucian Miclău, the school inspector for Caraș‑Severin County, condemned teachers who cheat on national certification exams, calling the practice a "shame for the education system." He noted that while teachers caught attempting fraud are barred from the current exam, the law only removes their right to sit future exams; they can return to teaching in the autumn unless a final criminal conviction is obtained. The current legislation provides no permanent administrative tool to dismiss such teachers.

At the same time, the National Center for Curriculum and Evaluation (CNCE) is clarifying a forthcoming 2026 grading reform that replaces the traditional 1‑to‑10 scale with three performance levels – basic, consolidated and advanced. The reform aims to eliminate subjectivity in student assessment, but has generated confusion among teachers about how to map the new levels to existing grades. Non‑compliance with the new standards may be treated as a disciplinary offence, subject to school‑inspectorate monitoring.