Education Minister Proposes Consultations and an "Anti-Fake News Button”

The Minister of Education and Research, Daniel David, announced that the framework plans for high school education will be put out for public consultation this week, explaining that the launch was postponed so as not to interfere with the national baccalaureate exam. According to the minister: "We could have released the framework plans this week, as we announced. We didn't promise, but we announced, that's right. We changed our mind - to put it bluntly - because we didn't want to interfere with the baccalaureate exam. We didn't want to have two types of discussions in the public space. We preferred to focus on the baccalaureate, and next week we will also put the framework plans out for consultation.”

• Fighting disinformation

In addition to the topic of curriculum reform, Minister Daniel David also raised the issue of the spread of fake news and distortion of information related to educational policies. In this context, he announced that he is analyzing the possibility of introducing an information button on the official website of the Ministry of Education, entitled "Be informed!". The purpose of this digital tool would be to correct erroneous information and provide official, quick and clear answers to the public's essential questions. "Sometimes it's very complicated. "Fake news', distortion are so strong that they surpass us. I should give two or three clarifications every day. But such a button might help us," explained the minister.

• New regulation: electronic catalog in all schools, not just in pilot units

The Ministry of Education has launched a draft order for public consultation that brings important changes to the framework regulation for the organization and functioning of pre-university education units. One of the most significant proposals aims to expand the use of the electronic catalog in all educational units that have the necessary infrastructure. Thus, the phrase "pilot units" is eliminated, and the digitalization of the student evaluation process could become a generalized norm. The electronic catalog would be printed, registered and archived at the end of the school year, in accordance with the regulations in force, in order to preserve the official and verifiable nature of grades and absences. Changes regarding grades in physical education and transfer to other specializations

The draft order also proposes to make the rules regarding the conclusion of grades in physical education and sports more flexible. Thus, students who have been exempted for a certain period will be able to have their grades concluded with a minimum of two grades/qualifications, regardless of whether they were obtained before or after the exemption period. Currently, the grade can only be concluded if the student obtained the grades prior to the exemption, which generates administrative difficulties and unclear situations. In addition, the project introduces a measure of correlation between school performance and the chosen specialization. Students in classes with an artistic, sports or pedagogical profile will have to obtain a minimum average of 6 in the specialized subjects. Otherwise, they will be transferred to other profiles or specializations, considered more suitable in relation to their level of training.

This provision applies to: Classes with an artistic or sports profile - average of 6 in the main specialized subject; Specializations in music, choreography, acting - average of 6 in artistic subjects; Visual arts, plastic arts, decorative arts, design, architecture, etc. - average of 6 in all practical specialized subjects; Pedagogical profile - average of 6 in Romanian/kindergarten, mathematics and pedagogical subjects.

• A step forward towards the reform of secondary education

The launch of the framework plans for high school education for consultation is an expected moment in the context of the curricular modernization process, which began with the application of the new law on pre-university education. The public and specialists in the field expect a reformulation of disciplines, a better correlation with the labor market and a reduction in the overload of hours. Putting the documents for consultation will allow the involvement of teachers, parents, students and civil society in shaping the curricular structure for the next generations of high school students.