site.btaPoll Finds Strong Support among Romanians for Mandatory Uniforms, Drug Testing, Surveillance in Schools

A majority of Romanians support the introduction of mandatory school uniforms, according to a new INSCOP survey, conducted between September 1 and 7 and published online.

According to 77% of respondents, such a measure would reduce discrimination among students, while 20.6% hold the opposite view and 2.4% do not know or did not answer. The strongest supporters of the idea are voters of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, women, people aged 60 and over, those with primary education, and public-sector employees.

There is also strong support for introducing drug testing in schools and audio-visual monitoring of classrooms.

Regarding drug testing, 83.4% of respondents approve of the idea, 15.2% oppose it, and 1.4% do not know or did not answer. The groups most supportive of the idea are voters of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, people over the age of 45, those with secondary education, TikTok users, and public-sector employees.

As for audio and video surveillance, 74.5% of respondents support the measure, 22.8% reject the idea, and 2.7% did not answer. The strongest supporters are again voters of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, women, people aged 60 and over, those with primary or secondary education, residents of rural areas, and TikTok users.

The data show that, in the eyes of the public, children’s safety takes precedence over concerns related to personal autonomy or privacy, INSCOP Director Remus Ștefureac said. This is a sign of significant public anxiety about the school environment and an expectation that institutions should intervene more decisively to prevent risks. School uniforms appear to be perceived less as a disciplinary tool and more as a mechanism for reducing visible social differences among children. The consistent support for them reflects a high degree of public sensitivity to inequalities in the school environment, the polling agency's director added.