Today, the Executive has adopted the draft national education law, Minister of Education, Research, Youth and Sports, Mr. Daniel Funeriu has announced at the press briefing held at Victoria Palace.
The Education Minister has stated that the draft law was elaborated taking into account the stability, coherence, predictability and sustainability of educational system, but also the equity and solidarity from this system. We wanted to reach a consensus”, Minister Funeriu has stated, showing that “we have organized very many debates, and we have remarked that, despite the fact that, at the beginning, there have been many views opposite to that of Ministry, on the public debate process, things reached a point in which there are many voices backing this law”.
The Education Minister has extended to representatives of opposition parties and lawmakers the invitation to come up with constructive proposals, to submit amendments to this draft law assuring that he will attend both parliamentary committees and parliamentary groups’ meetings, and that the debate on proposed measures will continue.
Minister Funeriu has thanked trade unions from the field for the cooperation and involvement in the debates generated by this draft law. 'I want to thank a partner - the trade unions, because we managed to sit down at the discussion table and I have noticed a substantial change of language during these debates and I assure them that it will be much easier for us if we go ahead together” Minister Daniel Funeriu has stated.
Thus, following the public debates, the Government has made improvements to the methodology of achieving the high – school leaving examination, introducing a third written test, set according to the specifics of the graduated high school, namely sciences, humanistic or vocational.
There have been taken over other proposals too, regarding social inclusion, from students’ organizations and other social partners.
Referring to mother tongue education, Minister Daniel Funeriu showed that some adjustments have been made regarding higher education and representation of teaching staff in university management; in case of universities with study lines in mother tongue. Thus, in universities with faculties in minority languages, one of the pro-rectors will be nominated from among those faculties, as at the level of faculties, one of the pro-deans will be proposed by the study line in the minorities’ tongue.
“I told ever since the beginning that I consider – and not only me – but also the party I am member of – that a strong nation is one that respects minorities…In this respect, I believe things are well- settled” Minister Funeriu has stated.
The Education Minister stated that the debates will continue, including with trade unions, so that Government supports its point of view with as many arguments as possible in the Romanian Parliament.
However, Funeriu Minister outlined the importance of parents, local authorities, trade unions and student organizations in implementing this law. "The difficult part comes when we begin to implement this law and we will have to make changes in a very alert pace” he outlined.