Arges County School Inspectorate*

The "Professional Scholarship" is a national social program aimed at all students attending professional education and consists of monthly financial support.

The "Professional Scholarship" is also granted to children of foreigners who are beneficiaries of a form of protection in Romania or to foreigners, respectively citizens of the European Union/European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation with the right of residence/stay on the territory of Romania, who attend professional education.

Students in professional education cannot benefit simultaneously from the "Professional Scholarship" and the financial support granted to students within the National Social Protection Program "High School Money".

At the level of the Ministry of Education, a national commission is established to monitor the granting of the "Professional Scholarship".

This procedure regulates the manner of organizing and conducting the linguistic competence test for admission to the fifth grade with an intensive teaching program of a modern international language, at the level of public or private pre-university educational institutions in Romania, based on the provisions of Art. 6 (2) and (3) of the Framework Regulation for the organization and operation of classes with intensive and bilingual teaching of a modern language in pre-university educational institutions, approved by OMEN no. 4797/31.08.2017.

This methodology includes rules for organizing and conducting the certification exam for graduates of technical high school education, hereinafter referred to as the certification exam, for obtaining the qualification certificate, in accordance with art. 31 para. (6) and art. 77 para. (6) and (7) of the National Education Law no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and additions.

Graduates of technical high school education who take and pass the certification exam obtain the level 4 qualification certificate, according to the National Qualifications Framework, and the descriptive supplement to the certificate, in Europass format.

Post-secondary education is organized for professional qualifications established by the Ministry of National Education in accordance with the National Register of Qualifications.

In post-secondary education, high school graduates with or without a baccalaureate diploma may enroll, admission being carried out in accordance with the general criteria established by the Ministry of National Education.

Post-secondary education is conducted through post-secondary schools and master schools. Both the post-secondary school and the master school represent specialized training routes, lasting 1-3 years, depending on the complexity of the qualification.

Graduates of post-secondary education who pass the professional qualification certification exam obtain a level 5 qualification certificate according to the National Qualifications Framework, corresponding to reference level 5 of the European Qualifications Framework (specialist technician) and the descriptive supplement to the certificate, according to Europass.

Post-secondary education is organized in post-secondary schools, within high schools with legal personality, or in colleges within accredited higher education institutions.

Schooling in state post-secondary education is financed through the local budgets of administrative-territorial units, from amounts distributed from state budget revenues and from local budget revenues. Schooling may also be financed by applicants, individuals or legal entities, through a contract concluded with the educational unit that provides schooling.

Credits for education and professional training obtained in post-secondary education can be recognized for graduates with a baccalaureate diploma by universities, based on the decisions of the university senate, as transferable study credit units for the bachelor's level.

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The 2018 National Baccalaureate exam is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Methodology for organizing and conducting the Baccalaureate exam - 2011 (approved by the order of the minister of education, research, youth and sports no. 4.799/2010 regarding the organization and conduct of the Baccalaureate exam - 2011, with subsequent amendments), and with the provisions of the attached ministerial order.

The dedicated portal http://bacalaureat.edu.ro provides updated information regarding methodology, schedule and results of the baccalaureate exam.

I. PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION:

The methodology for the schooling of Romanians everywhere in state pre-university education in Romania, on tuition-free study places with scholarship, respectively tuition-free but without scholarship, starting with the 2017-2018 school year

1. Pre-university enrollment form 2018-2019​

2. Pre-university education seat offer 2018-2019

Both the enrollment form and the seat offer in pre-university education will also be published on the website of the Iași County School Inspectorate: http://www.isjiasi.ro

3. The files will be sent to the Iași County School Inspectorate, according to the schedule;

4. Additional information may be obtained from the Iași County School Inspectorate.

II. HIGHER EDUCATION:​

1. In the 2018-2019 academic year, Romanian state higher education institutions organize the admission competition for Romanians everywhere, including citizens of the Republic of Moldova, to undergraduate/master/PhD studies, based on university autonomy, similar to the previous year, according to the provisions from the schooling methodology in higher education;

2. Candidates may opt for any field of study and any Romanian state higher education institution or, in the case of candidates from the Republic of Moldova, within the extensions opened by Romanian universities in Chișinău, Cahul, and Bălți;

3. For the safety of meeting the submission deadline set by higher education institutions, we recommend sending application files exclusively to universities, to avoid delays in their receipt/processing, in case they are sent via other channels;

4. Enrollment in accredited public and private higher education in Romania, on fee-paying places in lei, is done in accordance with the provisions of MEN Order no. 4294/29.06.2017;

5. Additional information regarding admission to universities in Romania can be obtained by accessing the links of each higher education institution in the information document attached to this procedure.

• fields of undergraduate studies and specializations/accredited or provisionally authorized study programs,
• geographical locations,
• number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
• form of education and teaching language,
• maximum number of students who can be educated

The National Evaluation for eighth grade students represents the method of external summative evaluation of the competencies acquired during middle school education.

The exam is held annually in a single session. Both candidates from state education and those from private education have the right to take the National Evaluation without any fee.

The average score obtained at the National Evaluation VIII is a decisive criterion for admission to high school education.

National-level coordination of the planning, organization, and conduct of the National Evaluation VIII, as well as the use of its results, is ensured by the Ministry of Education through the National Center for Evaluation and Examination (CNEE).

The development of specific evaluation procedures is carried out by the CNEE, following consultation with specialized departments within the ministry.

County-level/Bucharest municipality coordination of the organization of the National Evaluation VIII, as well as the use of its results, is ensured by the school inspectorate.

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In order to stimulate school attendance, in 2002 the School Supplies Program was launched, targeting students in state education, primary and secondary, day courses. At the beginning of each school year, packages with school supplies specific to each class are distributed.

The composition of the school supplies packages granted to students is established based on the Methodology for applying the provisions of Law no. 126/2002 for approving the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 33/2001 regarding the granting of school supplies.

Funding application submitted by the Ministry of National Education, at the beginning of September 2017, under the Operational Program for the Aid of Disadvantaged Persons (POAD) 2014-2020, was approved. The decision allows, starting with this school year, the purchase of supplies for preschoolers, as well as the supplementation with backpacks of the supplies packages granted to students in primary and secondary school.

1. Enrollment in pre-university education

1.1. Admission conditions

1.1.1. Pupils from non-EU states may enroll in pre-university education in Romania if one of the parents, guardians, or legal supporters falls into one of the following situations:

is repatriated;
has, by marriage, domicile in Romania;
holds a residence permit in Romania;
carries out, in accordance with legal provisions, activities on the territory of Romania;
is studying at accredited state/private university or postgraduate education in Romania.

1.2. Application file

1.2.1. The student's file is sent to the Ministry of National Education – General Directorate for International Relations and European Affairs (DGRIAE), by ISJ/ISMB within whose jurisdiction the educational unit chosen by the applicant operates and contains the following documents:

Copies of the ID documents of the student and parents/guardian/legal supporter (student's birth certificate, student passport, parents' passport, student residence permit, parents' residence permit, if available);
Copy and legalized translation of the student's birth certificate;
Copy of the court decision regarding the entrustment of the minor child, if applicable;
Copies and legalized translations of the school records;
Application for enrollment, approved by the management of the educational unit where enrollment is to be made.

1.3. Enrollment for studies

1.3.1. Enrollment is made based on approval issued by MEN – DGRIAE, on the basis of the study documents in the personal file, without placement exams.

1.3.2. Enrollment of students from non-EU states, based on periods of study carried out abroad, proven by school records, may also be made during the school year, in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on the organization and functioning of pre-university education units, approved by Order of the Minister of National Education no. 5115/2014

1.3.3. At the request of the parents/guardian, the student's enrollment can also be made in a class below the level of studies resulting from the documents.

1.4. Tuition fees

1.4.1. In compulsory education, foreign students benefit from schooling under the same conditions as Romanian citizens.

1.4.2. In upper secondary high school education, students from non-EU states pay tuition fees, in accordance with the provisions of Law no. 1/2011.

1.4.3. In pre-university education of all grades, foreign citizens who have obtained a form of protection in Romania may also be schooled under the same conditions as Romanian citizens. The class in which pupils in this category, who do not have study documents, can be enrolled will be determined following an assessment carried out by the school unit designated by ISJ/ISMB.

2. Taking the baccalaureate exam by citizens from non-EU states who have completed high school studies in another education system and do not hold a baccalaureate diploma or its equivalent

2.1. Citizens from non-EU states who have completed high school studies in another education system and do not hold a baccalaureate diploma or its equivalent may, upon request, take the national baccalaureate exam, depending on the profile of the completed pre-university studies, in an exam center established by the County Baccalaureate Commission/the Bucharest Municipality Commission.

2.2. Taking the national baccalaureate exam by citizens from non-EU states who have completed high school studies in another education system and do not hold a baccalaureate diploma or its equivalent is subject to the payment of the tuition fee, in accordance with the provisions of Law no. 1/2011.

Admission of 8th grade graduates to state high school education for the 2018-2019 school year takes place according to the normative framework approved by the Ministry of Education.

Admission of 8th grade graduates to state high school education for the 2018-2019 school year takes place in accordance with the methodology for the organization and conduct of admission to state high school education for the 2011-2012 school year, approved by the order of the minister of education, research, youth and sports no. 4.802/2010 regarding the organization and conduct of admission to state high school education for the 2011-2012 school year.

Aptitude tests organized for admission in the 2018-2019 school year to vocational high schools are carried out in accordance with the methodology for the organization and conduct and structure of aptitude tests for admission to vocational high schools, provided in annex no. 3 to the order of the minister of national education no. 4.432/2014, with subsequent amendments.

Admission of 8th grade graduates to state vocational education for the 2018-2019 school year takes place in accordance with the Methodology for the organization and conduct of admission to state vocational education, approved by the Order of the minister of national education and scientific research no. 5.068/2016.

Admission of 8th grade graduates to dual vocational education for the 2018-2019 school year takes place in accordance with the framework methodology for the organization and conduct of admission to dual vocational education for level 3 professional qualifications, according to the National Qualifications Framework, approved by the order of the minister of national education no. 3.556/2017.

Candidates who pass, during middle school, internationally recognized exams for certifying language skills in foreign languages may request the recognition and equivalence of the results obtained in these exams with the test for verifying modern language knowledge for admission to the 9th grade in bilingual classes teaching a modern language of international circulation.

Enrollment in primary education is done on the basis of a methodology approved by the Ministry of Education.

Thus, children who turn 6 years old by August 31, 2018, inclusive, must be enrolled in the preparatory class, in accordance with the Education Law.

Parents must go to the school inspectorates and educational units, these having the obligation to ensure information and counseling regarding enrollment.

At the headquarters of the inspectorates and educational units, lists with school districts must be posted, and parents must be informed about the content of the educational activities carried out in the preparatory class, the teaching approach, the organization of the school program, etc.

Children who turn 6 years old between September 1 and December 31, 2018, inclusive, can be enrolled if their psychosomatic development is appropriate.

All educational units have the obligation to offer information regarding the procedure for enrolling children in primary education regardless of whether the parents are part of the respective district or not.

Teaching and research titles

Employment in a teaching or research position within higher education institutions is done for a fixed-term or indefinite period. Employment for an indefinite period in any teaching or research position is possible only through a public competition, organized by the higher education institution, after obtaining the doctoral degree. See also HG_457_2011 (annex 8).

Only persons who meet the minimum and mandatory standards for registration to the competition for filling teaching and research positions in higher education, approved by Order no. 6560/2012 regarding the approval of the minimal and mandatory standards for granting higher education teaching titles and research-development professional grades, with subsequent amendments and completions, may apply for teaching and research posts in higher education. (annex 9)

The following teaching and research positions exist in higher education institutions:

- teaching positions:

a) university assistant;

b) university lecturer/laboratory chief;

c) university associate professor;

d) university professor.

- research positions:

a) research assistant;

b) scientific researcher;

c) scientific researcher grade III;

d) scientific researcher grade II;

e) scientific researcher grade I.

The equivalence of research positions with teaching positions is as follows:

a) scientific researcher is equivalent to university assistant, for persons holding a doctoral degree;

b) scientific researcher grade III is equivalent to university lecturer/laboratory chief;

c) scientific researcher grade II is equivalent to university associate professor;

d) scientific researcher grade I is equivalent to university professor.

The general nomenclature of auxiliary teaching and research positions in higher education is approved by Joint Order (MENCS/MMFPSPV) no. 6419/2858/2011 (annex 10).

Higher education institutions with available positions can be found here: www.jobs.edu.ro

Educational incentives are granted to children from disadvantaged families if the following criteria are cumulatively met:

a) the child is enrolled in a preschool education institution, according to LEN no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and completions;

b) the monthly income per family member is up to twice the amount of the minimum guaranteed income for a single person, provided by Law no. 416/2001 regarding the minimum guaranteed income, with subsequent amendments and completions.

Law no. 248/2015 regarding the stimulation of participation in preschool education for children from disadvantaged families; Government Decision No. 15/2016 for the approval of the Methodological Norms for the implementation of Law no. 248/2015 regarding the stimulation of participation in preschool education for children from disadvantaged families and the procedure for granting social vouchers for kindergarten.

In the case of incorrect completion due to the fault of the educational institution issuing the original study document or in case of presenting the original study document damaged to such an extent that it can no longer serve the purpose for which it was issued, based on a written request from the applicant, the educational institution that issued the respective document releases a duplicate, prepared based on the documents found in the archive of the educational institution from which the applicant's school situation results.

In case of loss, destruction, or theft of the original study document, the request for issuing the duplicate is accompanied by the following documents, which are archived with a retention period of 100 years at the school inspectorate, and the certified copies "true to the original" at the educational institution:

a) notarial/consular statement given by the holder of the document, containing all necessary identification elements, the circumstances under which the original document was lost, as well as other clarifications to confirm the disappearance of the respective study document. The following note must be obligatorily stated: "the original study document has not been left as collateral/guarantee at a state or private institution, from the country or abroad, and has not been deliberately transferred to another individual or legal entity";

b) proof of publication of the loss, destruction, or theft of the study document in the Official Gazette of Romania, Part III;

c) notarized copy of the birth/marriage certificate;

d) two color photographs, size 3 x 4 cm;

e) written approval of the school inspectorate administration council for issuing the duplicate, based on the documents submitted by the educational institution.

For more details, please consult:

ORDER No. 3844/2016 of May 24, 2016 for approving the Regulation regarding the regime of study documents and school documents managed by pre-university educational institutions

The Ministry of Education has been running for more than 12 years the national social protection program "High School Money", through which it provides financial support for students in high schools and schools of arts and trades.

For students who wish to obtain this financial support, we have launched the High School Money portal, which, together with the discussion forum dedicated to this national program, represents an efficient means of information.

The beneficiaries are students who are dependent on families whose gross monthly income per family member, earned in the last 3 months prior to the submission of the file, is a maximum of 500 lei, as well as students who benefit from a protective measure or are under guardianship or curatorship, if the above-mentioned income condition is met.

The documents will be submitted as copies, provided that, upon submission of the application, the applicant also presents the original documents.

IMPORTANT!

By adopting Government Decision 712/2018 (available attached), starting with the 2018-2019 school year, each beneficiary will receive monthly, for the entire duration of the courses, provided that all legal requirements are met, the amount of 250 lei/month.
In addition to indexing this amount (from 180 lei/month), the maximum threshold value for granting the scholarship was increased from 150 lei to 500 lei/family member, given the need to align the threshold for granting support with the current economic situation.

The "School after School" Program (ȘDȘ) is a complementary program to the compulsory school curriculum, which offers opportunities for formal and non-formal learning, for consolidating skills, remedial learning, and accelerating learning through educational, recreational, and leisure activities, and is addressed to both primary and secondary school students.

The SDS program can take place before or after the compulsory school program (depending on the schedule of each level of study), at the school, if it has the material and human resources necessary to organize this program.

In primary education, the SDS program includes activities with specialized support (supervision and guidance in doing homework, recovery for students with cognitive, emotional difficulties, language disorders through remedial activities, counseling, speech therapy, activities to encourage independent reading, etc.), workshops/thematic activities, and other recreational activities.

Each school, depending on the target group, forms modules of activity packages by combining the above-mentioned activities.

In secondary education, the SDS program includes the package of activities for acceleration of learning and performance (preparation for participation in competitions and school olympiads, sports competitions, arts, by subject, participation/organization of festivals, exhibitions, creation of school publications, participation in European cooperation activities), the support activities package (providing psychopedagogical assistance for recovering learning gaps, support activities for homework, remedial activities, psychological counseling) and the life skills package (organization of personal development activities, activities aimed at developing an active attitude and student involvement, healthy lifestyle, career education, etc.).

The program can be organized modularly, in time units established at the institutional level according to the target group and identified needs, by combining activity packages oriented towards the development of transferable skills.

The program is implemented in groups of students (maximum 12 students), formed according to the identified options and needs. Activities are designed, organized, and supported by teachers from primary and secondary education, counselors, support teachers, librarians, speech therapists, laboratory assistants, pedagogues, coaches, school mediators, volunteers from the school, from authorized partner institutions and organizations.

The “Second Chance” program is aimed at adolescents, young people, adults from various social backgrounds and of different ages, who have not attended or have not completed primary and lower secondary education. The program offers these categories of people the possibility to continue and complete compulsory education without having to interrupt their possible professional or family activities in which they are involved.

The program is structured on two levels: Second Chance – primary education and Second Chance – lower secondary education – the latter also having a professional training component.

There is no upper age limit for those who wish to enroll in this program. The condition is that they have exceeded by at least 4 years the age appropriate for the grade and are in one of the following situations:

For the Second Chance – primary education program:

• they have not participated at all in formal – school education;
• they were enrolled, but dropped out of primary education – regardless of the time and reasons for dropping out;
• they have not graduated from primary education by the age of 14.

For the Second Chance – lower secondary education program:

• they have completed compulsory primary education (including in the Second Chance system) but did not continue their education further

or:

• they have completed some of the grades corresponding to lower secondary education (V, VI or VII), but dropped out during this educational cycle – regardless of the time and reasons for dropping out.

The Second Chance program is a flexible program, meant to motivate students and encourage them to complete it, to offer more autonomy to schools regarding its implementation, but also the necessary support for all those involved, through teacher training programs and educational materials for students and teachers. Through the program, innovative elements have been introduced in the educational process, such as: modular curriculum and credit system for basic education, assessment, certification and recognition of competences acquired previously by students, ensuring an individualized learning program.

Enrollment in the Second Chance program can be done every year, in two sessions: October and February.

Students enrolled in the program may have very different levels and expectations. The new program ensures a transparent offer of modules that students can follow to develop their skills, as a result of participating in cooperative learning activities, in real contexts and with tasks and assignments that respond to their interests and needs.

Learning will take place in small groups (8-15 students in each class). Courses can be conducted according to several schedule variants (on weekdays in the afternoon or evening, on Saturdays, or during school vacations, etc.) depending on the possibilities of students and teachers. Individual consultation hours are scheduled at the students' disposal.

The program has a flexible duration. The average duration of schooling (2 years for primary education, and 4 years for lower secondary education) can be reduced for each student, depending on the competences demonstrated, both in basic education and professional training.

Graduates have the right to continue their studies, according to the law, as follows:

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - primary education can pursue studies in lower secondary education;

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - lower secondary education can pursue studies in upper secondary education (upper cycle of high school) or take practical training stages, after which they have the opportunity to also obtain a level 3 vocational qualification certificate.

For young people in the program, the graduation certificate will not only represent a personal success, but the chance for another tomorrow.

Special and special integrated education is an integral part of the national Romanian education system and offers all children/pupils/young people educational programs adapted to their degree of disability and their development needs.

It is organized at all levels of pre-university education, depending on the type and degree of disability, as follows: mental, hearing, visual, locomotor, associated.

Inclusive education was adopted in Romania as early as the 1990s by respecting diversity, initiating and practically realizing access and participation in education and social life for all categories of children. Today, about half of students with disabilities are educated in mainstream education.

The legislation in the field of special education was thus designed to respond to a broad and very varied spectrum of special situations. Taking this reality into account, special, special integrated and inclusive education has been organized at all levels of pre-university education, depending on the type and degree of disability.

Special education units for students with sensory disabilities apply the mainstream school curriculum. These units retain only the structure and organizational form of the special education system, and in content, school preparation and specialization are similar to the mainstream school. Special technological high schools, high school classes and special post-secondary classes are organized following the mainstream school model (content, profiles, specializations, outcomes, objectives and/or competences). What remains specific to these units are the strategies, modalities and teaching/learning methods.

Upon graduation, pupils in these special education units take national exams (tests, baccalaureate or graduation exam) just like all graduates in mainstream education. For them, facilities and adaptations are stipulated in the methodologies for organizing and conducting exams.

For each student with severe, profound, or associated disabilities, a personalized intervention plan is developed with objectives specific to their needs and possibilities for psycho-individual development.

Students with special educational needs benefit from adaptations of examination procedures also in the case of current assessments.

The admission of 8th grade graduates to state high school education for the 2018-2019 school year is conducted according to the regulatory framework approved by the Ministry of Education.

The admission of 8th grade graduates to state high school education for the 2018-2019 school year is carried out in accordance with the methodology for organizing and conducting admission to state high school education for the 2011-2012 school year, approved by the Order of the Minister of Education, Research, Youth, and Sports no. 4.802/2010 regarding the organization and conduct of admission to state high school education for the 2011-2012 school year.

The aptitude tests organized for admission in the 2018-2019 school year to vocational high schools are conducted in accordance with the methodology for organizing and conducting, and the structure of aptitude tests for admission to vocational high schools, provided in annex no. 3 to the Order of the Minister of National Education no. 4.432/2014, with subsequent amendments.

Candidates who, during their lower secondary education, pass internationally recognized exams for the certification of linguistic competencies in foreign languages may request the recognition and equivalence of the results obtained in these exams with the test for verifying knowledge of a modern language for admission to 9th grade classes with bilingual instruction programs in a modern language of international circulation.

The Ministry of National Education informs that, in order to enroll children aged between 3 and 6 years in preschool education, the following stages will take place, successively, at the level of each educational unit:

• re-enrollment of children who attend kindergarten in this school year and wish to attend in the 2018-2019 school year as well - will begin on May 7;
• enrollment of newly arrived children will take place from May 21.

The schedule for re-enrollments and enrollments will be set by the management of the educational unit and will be posted, in a visible place, in each kindergarten, for the information of parents and the interested public, including on its website (if any), and possibly on the websites of school inspectorates.

The filling of free places, after the re-enrollment process is completed, will be done, as a rule, in descending order of age groups, as follows: large group (5-year-old children), middle group (4-year-old children), and small group (3-year-old children). Based on Government Decision no. 1.252/2012 and within the limits of available places, children aged between 2 and 3 years can also be enrolled in the small group.

If, in an educational unit, the number of enrollment requests is greater than the number of free places, general selection criteria and specific selection criteria will be applied successively.

The general selection criteria are as follows:

• the existence of a document proving that a child is an orphan of both parents (the situation of a child coming from a children's home/foster care center/family placement is assimilated to the situation of a child orphaned of both parents);
• the existence of a document proving that the child is orphaned of one parent;
• the existence of a brother/sister enrolled in the respective educational unit;
• the existence of a medical certificate stating that the child is classified as having a disability.

The specific selection criteria (developed by each preschool educational unit, approved by its Board of Administration and endorsed by the County School Inspectorate/the Bucharest Municipality until May 18) cannot be discriminatory and cannot include pre-registration lists. Also, the specific selection criteria will be applied only after the general criteria are exhausted.

To ensure the transparency of the re-enrollment/enrollment process, the management of preschool educational units shall post, in plain sight, for all interested, the following information:

• the institution's capacity (number of children it was designed for);
• the number of places approved by the schooling plan for the 2018-2019 school year (by age groups: small, middle, large);
• the general and specific criteria for children's enrollment;
• the number of children re-enrolled/enrolled daily (during the set period) out of the total available.

We mention that private preschool educational units are also required to post in a visible place information regarding their status, that is whether they are authorized to operate provisionally or are accredited by the Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education (ARACIP).