site.btaRomanian Prime Minister, Education Unions Fail to Reach Agreement, Protests Continue

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and Education and Research Minister Daniel David held a meeting with representatives of the three principal teachers’ unions, according to a press release also sent to BTA on Monday. Teachers have been protesting outside the Ministry of Education in Bucharest for the third week in a row against a series of measures introduced in the education system by Bolojan’s Cabinet. They have been calling for David's resignation.

During the consultations, participants reviewed the implementation and impact of the government’s measures: increasing the mandatory teaching hours, lowering the hourly pay rate, reducing student grants, and merging small schools.

Bolojan noted that the measures are based on Romania's budget capacity and on the realities of the education system. He added that increasing the teaching load by two hours a week, from 18 to 20, brings Romania in line with the European average for mandatory teaching hours. Bolojan instructed the Education Ministry to review the implementation of the new provisions and propose solutions where problems arise.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting, union leaders said they would boycott the start of the school year on September 8.