- Accepting the educational alternative - Homeschooling in Romania

 

We ask the Ministry of Education to respect the freedom of choice in education,  without criminalizing us for wanting an educational alternative. We want the authorities to recognize and accept and guarantee our right to enroll our children in international distance education systems that support homeschooling, without being accused of dropping out of school or preventing access to compulsory education.

 

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We clarify that we are NOT asking for the integration of Homeschooling in the Romanian system of education, but to eliminate the risk of being accused of dropping out of school. Parents must be free to enroll their children in international education systems without fear of legal consequences from the Romanian state. Homeschooling is not legally accepted in Romania in an explicit manner, nor is it forbidden. 

Parents who choose this alternative education risk to be charged with preventing access to education and can be convicted under Article 380 of the Penal Code. These families are exposed to discrimination and intimidation, being treated as criminals, an unprecedented situation in recent times in Romania

All we want through this petition is to be allowed to choose what suits best for our children as the Constitution, in article 29, guarantees the freedom of thought and conscience; also, Article 32, stipulates the right to education, without specifying the exclusivity of public education in the national system, which implicitly gives access to an educational alternative, namely international education at distance also known as homeschooling.

What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is educating a child at home, under the supervision of parents/guardians, following a structured curriculum and giving families the opportunity to adjust the content and learning style according to their preferences and interests, child's preferences and interests. It is an alternative education system that can mirror the traditional school (with subjects, assessments and a set timetable), but is tailored to the needs of each child and to each child's learning pace. 

Education is planned, structured, with clear learning goals, engaging formal or semi-formal methods such as textbooks, tutors, educational platforms, videotaped teachers, educational consultants and contact with real teachers etc. Also, children are regularly assessed. Education can take place largely at home, but there is freedom to integrate educational experiences outside the home, in educational centers, libraries, play clubs, museums, parks, sports clubs, etc.

 

The situation of homeschooling in Romania:

Although increasingly practiced, homeschooling is in a gray area in terms of legality. There is no law explicitly regulating it, and the authorities do not recognize it as official alternative to the school system. This leaves parents vulnerable to possible legal repercussions.

After parents in Bratca, Bihor, were sentenced to four months in prison, the authorities' attitude has become more hostile. New families are now in court, accused by prosecutors and judges for enrolling their children in international distance learning, enrolled with out-of-country schools. According to the Ministry of Education letter no. 24023/03.01.2024, many families are being criminally investigated and threatened by School Police and other authorities. They are treated more harshly than those who truly impede access to education.

The ruling of the Oradea Court of Appeal, which advises parents to leave the country if they wish to homeschool, has already generated a wave of families emigrating. Many are willing to leave Romania for this form of education.

The new Education Law ("Educated Romania", Law 198/2023) and articles 245 and 246 are interpreted by the authorities as a ban on homeschooling in Romania, although the law refers to educational organizations, not to the rights of individuals. Such an interpretation goes against the democratic principles of our country.

More recently, by Ministerial Order no. 5726/12.08.2024 art. 125 from the Regulation of functioning of the pre-university system, CNRED refused to recognize international diplomas and standardized tests (GED, SAT, ACT) taken in international accredited centers in Romania, despite the fact that this equivalence has functioned well over 20 years. 

All these measures seem abusive and are intended to intimidate families by forcing them to (re)enroll their children in a problematic public education system, contrary to the best interest of the child.

Why should families in Romania be allowed to homeschool?

As the authorities have learned, more and more families are choosing this type of education especially after the pandemic. Although the media continues to portray us as a small and irrelevant movement, this is not the case at all and the signatories of this petition will prove it. There are thousands of families who support homeschooling or distance learning in Romania.

Romania is facing serious educational deficiencies and this is no secret to anyone. The results of the National Assessment and Baccalaureat are extremely worrying, with a pass rate below 70%, and a significant percentage of pupils dropping out of school before completing 8th grade or 12th grade. Moreover, functional illiteracy affects almost half of all pupils, according to annual PISA international tests, and Romania still ranks 80th in the world in terms of access to quality education according to EU reports on the level of functional illiteracy in Europe. 

The 2024 teacher certification tests, published by the Ministry of Education and picked up by  Edupedu.ro are also shocking, 10,600 may only be substitute teachers getting only a grade 5 and 5,900 failed to get a grade 5 out of a total of 37500 teachers.

Under these conditions, forcing our children to remain in this national system under threat of imprisonment, seems to us to be a colossal abuse, especially that according to PISA tests, these pupils have more than a 50% chance of becoming functional illiterates in Romania.

Homeschooling is a practical and effective alternative in many European countries (UK, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Ireland) and all US states, where millions of children benefit from education in a flexible and personalized systems. 

These children achieve superior academic results, with high admission rates to prestigious universities and normal social development, contrary to the myth that they lack socialization.

For the above reasons - which we ask you to bear in mind when taking this petition into consideration, we respectfully request you, Madam Minister:

1. Ensure respect for the right of access to pre-university education in international systems operating legally in the country of origin, distinguishing homeschooling from school drop-out;

2. Ensure respect for Art. 26 paragraph (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to which "parents have the right of preference in the choice education for their minor children", taking into account the best interests of the child;

3. Set up a support committee for parents who choose this type of education for their children educational path (at their own expense) or appoint a contact person who is an advisor to parents and not an opponent who discourages or threatens the parents;

4. Send a message of reassurance to families whose children attend education being enrolled with foreign educational establishments with high academic standards and reassure them that their study documents issued by the above named abroad institutions will be recognized by CNRED as it has always been; lift also the restrictions with regard to recognition and equivalency of diplomas obtained as result of international standardized exams like GED, SAT, ACT etc.

We are ready to cooperate with you in order to identify the most favorable solutions to resolve these issues.

Please join us in this endeavor!

It is important that every citizen supports this cause to protect freedom of choice in education even if not homeschooling, because citizenship rights are recognized, not provided by the state - and they must be protected lest we become a totalitarian dictatorship again. The importance of respecting diversity in education and the need to protect the rights of parents and children to choose an educational system that suits them is what this petition is really about.

The positive impact this change can have on Romanian society is inestimable, especially with regard to future generations who will not be forced to leave the country and will be able to stay here to be productive and engaged citizens within the Romanian society.

Sign this petition to support our right to educate freely and make use of a qualitative alternative in education! We demand nothing less than our rights,  our fundamental constitutional rights be respected and guaranteed. 

ALLOW US TO LEARN!