New rules for school olympiads: digitalization, transparency and equal opportunities for all students

The Ministry of Education and Research has launched a draft order for public consultation that brings important changes regarding the organization and conduct of school olympiads and competitions, as well as updating the Regulation for extracurricular education projects. The new rules emphasize equal opportunities, transparency and digitalization of evaluation processes.

One of the most notable novelties is the introduction of the possibility for students to participate in a class higher than the one in which they are enrolled, provided that it is part of the same educational cycle (gymnasium or high school).

In contrast, participation in a lower class will not be allowed, according to the draft put up for public debate. This measure supports students with exceptional performance, offering them the chance to compete at a higher level, without being constrained by school age.

• Olympiads also for students in hospital or at home

According to the ministry, for the first time, the regulation includes the right of students in homeschooling or in hospital to take the school Olympiad tests (except for the practical ones) in the place where they are, with the approval of the organizing committee.

The ministry states that this change is intended to ensure equal opportunities for all participants, regardless of their medical conditions. Another new element is the possibility for the Olympiads to be held in online format, where the specific regulations of each competition allow it. Also, the evaluation of the works in the written tests will be carried out in digital format, on a platform dedicated to the Ministry of Education. "The organization and evaluation method (physical or digitalized) will be provided in the regulations of each competition," the institution specifies. The digitalization of the correction process aims at efficiency, objectivity and the reduction of human errors. The national coordination commission of school competitions will develop a detailed procedure for the activities specific to this type of evaluation.

• More transparency and clear qualification criteria

The draft order introduces new obligations for the centres and school inspectorates, aimed at increasing the transparency of the competition process. These include: publishing the scales, topics and official channels for communicating the results; guaranteeing the right of students to view their work before submitting the appeal, including at the zonal and national stages; introducing clear and non-discriminatory tie-breaking criteria for qualifying for additional places at the national stage.

• Higher qualification threshold: from 40% to 60%

In order to increase the relevance of the competitions, the minimum qualification threshold at the national stage is proposed to increase to 60% of the maximum score obtained at the county stage (compared to 40% currently). At the same time, in the context of the digitalization of the assessment, all tests will be scored on a scale from 0 to 100 points, regardless of the discipline. The Ministry specifies, however, that the number of places for the national stage does not change. The amendments to the Regulation on the preparation of calendars for extracurricular education projects aim to simplify and clarify the project categories. Thus, the category "Regional Projects" has been assimilated to inter-county projects, leaving only three types in force: national projects, inter-county projects, county projects or projects of the municipality of Bucharest. The Ministry explains that these adjustments aim to increase the relevance and quality of non-formal education, but also to a clearer management of the competition calendar.

• Main objective: fairness and meritocracy

"The proposed changes in the two projects launched for public consultation aim to both increase transparency in the process of organizing and selecting competitions, as well as to increase their relevance," the Ministry of Education and Research said in a statement. The public consultation will remain open in the coming weeks, during which teachers, parents and students can send observations and proposals before the final approval of the order.