Romania, located in the center of Eastern Europe, attracts expats with its fascinating history, breathtaking scenery, and lively culture that is profoundly founded in knowledge and education. Understanding Romania’s educational system as an expat is crucial for your family’s seamless adjustment. This expat guide unveils Romania’s educational tapestry, exploring its unique traits, admissions, cultural nuances, and diverse opportunities, spanning preschool to university.
Quality of education in Romania
Romania’s educational eminence thrives on the dual foundations of academic excellence and the mastery of critical thinking. Dating back to the 16th century, the country’s inaugural university illuminated its rich heritage.
Romanian compulsory education age
In Romania, compulsory education covers the age range from 6 to 16, ensuring that every child embarks on an educational journey. The Ministry of Education oversees this system, where Romanian citizens enjoy the privilege of free education.
Types of schools in Romania
Romania’s educational landscape offers a diverse array of institutions, encompassing public, private, and international schools. Dissecting these schools by age group includes:
Kindergarten education
In Romania, young learners aged 3 to 6 embark on their educational journey through preschools. The options available include a spectrum of programs, spanning public, private, and international preschools, each offering unique educational experiences.
Basic education
In Romania, youngsters aged 6 to 11 take their initial steps into the world of education through primary schools. The educational landscape includes a variety of choices, ranging from public and private to international institutions, ensuring diverse educational experiences.
The lower secondary level
In Romania, the academic voyage of students aged 11 to 15 unfolds in the realm of lower secondary education. Here, a multifaceted tapestry of learning options awaits, with lower secondary schools taking on various personas, including general enclaves of knowledge, technical academies, and vocational workshops of skill craft.
Upper secondary education
In the Romanian academic symphony, students aged 15 to 19 take center stage in the realm of upper secondary schools. This educational stage welcomes a diverse array of performances, including institutions of wisdom, innovation, skill, and creativity, among others, each playing its unique part.
Syllabus and qualifications
The Ministry of Education in Romania orchestrates the educational ensemble with a nationally harmonized curriculum. This symphony includes obligatory masterpieces like mathematics, physics, and social studies, complemented by elective sonnets such as foreign languages and physical education. As the curtain falls on upper secondary school, students face their magnum opus, the Baccalaureate test. This grand performance assesses their knowledge across a spectrum of subjects, not only in Romania but also as a key to the gates of higher education in other lands.
Holidays and school hours
In Romania’s educational theater, the curtains rise at 8:00 a.m., unveiling a daily performance that usually concludes by 2:00 p.m. Yet, within this educational theater, each school composes its unique act. The grand opus of the academic year commences in September, a mosaic of learning that waltzes through to June, punctuated by interludes of festivity in December, February, and April.
Enrollment and competition
In the intricate ballet of enrolling a child in a Romanian school, parents must produce the child’s birth certificate or passport, twirling in harmony with proof of their residence. Within urban landscapes, a subtle dance of competition may ensue, especially for coveted schools or within areas where education demands pirouettes gracefully.
International schools
In Romania’s diverse educational tapestry, international schools unfurl their vibrant banners, welcoming both local and global scholars. These institutions, conducted in English and other languages, follow the melodic strains of international curricula such as the British Curriculum or the International Baccalaureate. The constellation of renowned international schools in Romania includes:
American international school of Bucharest
An American school in Bucharest that offers education from preschool through secondary school using the American Curriculum is known as the American International School of Bucharest.
British school of Bucharest
Providing instruction from preschool through high school using the British Curriculum is the British School of Bucharest.
International school of Bucharest
An international school in Bucharest that follows the International Baccalaureate Curriculum and provides instruction from preschool through secondary school.
Higher education options
The academic symphony of Romania crescendos with a multitude of colleges and universities, offering an eclectic repertoire of undergraduate and graduate degrees. Here, the corridors of knowledge embrace disciplines like business, engineering, and medicine. Within the realm of education, excellence resonates at institutions like the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, the esteemed Babe-Bolyai University, and the academic maestro, the University of Bucharest.
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