Education Minister asks teachers to be careful in how they protest

Education Minister Daniel David has responded to criticism that he has been too harsh on education unions, saying he respects teachers' right to protest but asks them to be moderate and responsible in expressing their grievances. The official stressed that the public image of schools and teachers is important and can be affected by the tone and content of messages sent in public. "I was not critical at all. I have told union leaders many times that I understand the union movement against fiscal-budgetary measures. This is the role of the union and, as a democrat, I respect this. I only said that I expect dissatisfied teachers to protest in a different way and with different content, because the world is looking at us, society is looking at us and it is not right to form a bad image based on expressions of anger," said the Minister of Education. David specified that he does not dispute the right of teachers to criticize government measures, but he called for caution: "I only asked that we be careful about what content we put and how we do this."

• Teacher training for simultaneous education

On the other hand, the Minister of Education also announced an initiative regarding the training of future teachers, in the context of problems related to simultaneous education in rural areas. Daniel David explained that this type of teaching - in two or more classes at the same time - is inevitable, but can become effective if teachers are properly trained. "As long as Romania wants to have rural education - and I support this - we will not be able to avoid simultaneous education. We must be aware that it also exists in other countries, such as France or Ireland. But if we are going to have it, we must prepare for it, something we have not done so far,” said the minister. David announced that he would discuss with the rectors of universities that train future teachers, in order to include international guides and methods for simultaneous teaching in the training programs. At the same time, he showed that the dual specialization of teachers represents an advantage for the quality of the educational act, being a model already applied in other European education systems. Another topic addressed by the minister was that of homework, about which Daniel David states that it must respect the time limits established by regulations. "The duration of homework that children can receive must be regulated. If students start to see homework as a negative element, regardless of the teacher's intention, the effects will be contrary to those desired," he explained. The minister considers it necessary for schools to apply "control mechanisms" to ensure that teachers respect the maximum recommended duration for homework, including during vacation periods. "It is strange to regulate the way in which a regulation must be respected, but it will probably be necessary for the good of the entire system," Daniel David added. The minister's statements come in a tense context, in which education unions have criticized the Government's fiscal-budgetary measures, accusing it of a lack of real dialogue with teachers. At the same time, the Ministry of Education is working on structural reforms related to teacher training, curriculum adaptation and reducing academic pressure on students. Through these measures and calls for responsibility, Daniel David seems to propose a balanced reform, which takes into account both the rights of teachers, the needs of students and the public perception of Romanian schools.