Mures County School Inspectorate*

Teaching and Research Titles

Hiring for a teaching or research position within higher education institutions is done for a fixed or indefinite period. Hiring for an indefinite period on any teaching or research position is only possible 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 enrollment in the competition for occupying teaching and research positions in higher education, approved by Order no. 6560/2012 regarding the approval of the minimum standards necessary and mandatory for awarding teaching titles in higher education and professional grades for research and development, with subsequent amendments and completions (annex 9), can apply for teaching and research positions in higher education.

In higher education institutions, the following teaching and research positions are found:

- 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 teaching and auxiliary 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 unit, according to LEN no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and additions;

b) the monthly income per family member is up to twice the level of the minimum guaranteed income for a single person, stipulated by Law no. 416/2001 regarding the minimum guaranteed income, as subsequently amended and supplemented.

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

“The professional scholarship” is a national social program addressed to all students who attend professional education and consists of monthly financial support.

Children of foreigners who are beneficiaries of a form of protection in Romania or of foreigners, respectively citizens of the European Union/Economic European Area and the Swiss Confederation with the right of residence/stay on the territory of Romania, who attend professional education, also benefit from the “professional scholarship”.

Students in professional education cannot simultaneously benefit from the “professional scholarship” and the financial support granted to students within the national social protection program “Money for high school”.

At the level of the Ministry of Education, a national commission for monitoring the granting of the “professional scholarship” is established.

In order to stimulate school attendance, in 2002 the School Supplies Program was launched, which targets students in public, primary and lower secondary education, full-time courses. At the beginning of each school year, packages with school supplies specific to each grade are distributed.

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

Funding request submitted by the Ministry of National Education, at the beginning of September 2017, through the Operational Program for Assisting Disadvantaged Persons (POAD) 2014-2020 was approved. The decision allows, starting with this school year, the purchase of supplies for preschoolers, respectively the addition of backpacks to the packages of supplies granted to students in primary and lower secondary education.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This methodology includes rules for organizing and conducting the certification exam for graduates of high school education, technological stream, 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 high school education, technological stream, who take and pass the certification exam obtain the qualification certificate level 4, according to the National Qualifications Framework, and the descriptive supplement of the certificate, in Europass format.

This procedure regulates the manner of organizing and conducting the linguistic competence test for admission to the 5th grade with an intensive program for teaching a modern foreign language of international circulation, at the level of state or private pre-university educational institutions in Romania, based on the provisions of Art. 6 (2) and (3) of the Framework Regulation on the organization and functioning of classes with intensive or bilingual teaching of a modern language in pre-university educational institutions, approved by OMEN no. 4797/31.08.2017.

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 already 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 new children will take place starting May 21.

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

The allocation of available seats, after the completion of the re-enrollment process, will generally be made in descending order of age groups, as follows: big 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 limit 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 exceeds the number of available seats, general and specific selection criteria will be successively applied.

The general selection criteria are as follows:

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

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

To ensure the transparency of the re-enrollment/enrollment process, the management of preschool educational units will display, visibly, for all interested parties, the following information:

• the institution's capacity (the number of children for which it was designed);
• the number of seats approved by the schooling Habit for the 2018-2019 school year (by age groups: small, middle, big);
• the general and specific enrollment criteria for children;
• 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 display in a visible place the information regarding their status, namely whether they are authorized to provisionally operate or are accredited by the Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education (ARACIP).

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

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

Post-secondary education is provided through post-secondary school and master school. Both the post-secondary school and the master school represent specialized training routes, with a duration of 1-3 years, depending on the complexity of the qualification.

Post-secondary education graduates 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 of 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 the administrative-territorial units, from the amounts deducted from the state budget revenues and from local budget revenues. Schooling can also be financed by applicants, individuals or legal entities, through a contract concluded with the educational unit that provides the 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 decisions of the university senate, as units of transferable study credits for the bachelor's level.

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

The exam takes place annually in a single session. Both candidates from the public education system and those from the private education system have the right to take the NE free of charge.

The average obtained at NE VIII is a decisive criterion for admission to high school education.

National coordination of the design, organization, and administration of NE VIII, as well as the use of its results, are 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 the specialized departments within the ministry.

Coordination at county level/Bucharest municipality of the organization of NE VIII, as well as the use of its results, is ensured by the school inspectorate.

The "School after School" program (ȘDȘ) is a program complementary to the compulsory school curriculum, providing opportunities for formal and non-formal learning, for consolidating competences, remedial learning, and accelerated learning through educational, recreational, and leisure activities. It is addressed both to students in primary education and to students in secondary education.

The SDS program can take place before or after the compulsory school schedule (depending on the timetable of each level of study), at schools, in situations where the school has the material and human resources necessary for the organization of this program.

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

Each school, based on the target group, constitutes modules of activity packages, by combining the activities mentioned above.

In secondary education, the SDS program includes the package of activities for learning acceleration and performance (preparation for participation in school competitions and olympiads, sports, artistic, and subject contests, participation/organization of festivals, exhibitions, creation of school publications, participation in European cooperation activities), the package of support activities (providing psycho-pedagogical assistance for the recovery of learning gaps, support activities for homework, remedial activities, psychological counseling), and the life preparation 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 in modules, with time units established at the level of the educational unit according to the target group and identified needs, by combining packages of activities oriented towards the development of transferable competences.

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

The 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.

The admission of 8th grade graduates to state high school education for the 2018-2019 school year takes place in accordance with the methodology for organizing and conducting the 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 the admission to state high school education for the 2011-2012 school year.

The aptitude tests organized for admission in the 2018-2019 school year in vocational high schools are conducted in accordance with the methodology for organizing and conducting and the structure of the 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 pass, during lower secondary education, exams with international recognition for the certification of language skills in foreign languages may request the recognition and equivalence of the results obtained in these exams with the test for the verification of knowledge of a modern language for admission to 9th grade classes with bilingual teaching programs of an internationally spoken modern language.

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

The admission of 8th-grade graduates to line 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 deterministic for the 2018-2019 school year in vocational high schools are carried out in accordance with the methodology for organizing and conducting and the structure of the aptitude tests for admission to vocational high schools, provided in proliferate no. 3 to the order of the Minister of National Education no. 4.432/2014, with subsequent amendments.

The admission of 8th-grade graduates to state vocational education for the 2018-2019 school year is carried out in accordance with the Methodology for organizing and conducting the admission to state vocational education, approved by the order of the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research no. 5.068/2016.

The admission of 8th-grade graduates to dual vocational education for the 2018-2019 school year is carried out in accordance with the framework methodology for organizing and conducting 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, during lower secondary education, pass internationally recognized exams for the certification of 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 skills for admission to 9th-grade classes with a bilingual program for teaching a modern language of international circulation.

The National Baccalaureate Examination 2018 is conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Methodology for the organization and conduct of the Baccalaureate examination - 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 examination - 2011, with subsequent amendments), and with the provisions of the attached ministerial order.

The dedicated portal http://bacalaureat.edu.ro offers updated information regarding the methodology, schedule, and results of the Baccalaureate examination.

I. PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION:

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

1. Application form pre-university education 2018-2019​

2. Pre-university education study places offer 2018-2019

Both the application form and the offer of study places in pre-university education will also be published on the website of the School Inspectorate

II. UNIVERSITY EDUCATION:​

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

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

3. To ensure you meet the application deadline set by the higher education institutions, we recommend sending the application files exclusively to universities, in order not to cause delays in the processing/handling of these files, if they are sent through other channels;

4. Enrollment in accredited state and private higher education in Romania, on fee-paying places in lei, is done on the basis 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.

Higher education is organized in universities, academies of studies, institutes, schools of higher studies, hereinafter referred to as higher education institutions or universities, which have obtained the provisional operating authorization or accreditation.

Higher education institutions are education providers that carry out teaching activities based on programs of study authorized to operate provisionally/accredited under the law, initial and continuous training at university level, programs that operate on the principle of quality and correlation of the educational offer with soprovisionally/accredited under the law, initial and continuous training at university level, programs that operate on the principle of quality and correlation of the educational offer with the labor market.

The national higher education system includes all accredited higher education institutions. A higher education institution authorized to operate provisionally, according to the legal procedures in force, becomes part of the national higher education system only after accreditation. For more information, you can also access the website of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education - www.aracis.ro .

Higher education institutions can be public, private or denominational. These institutions have legal personality, are non-profit and are apolitical. Higher education institutions are legal entities of public law or, as the case may be, legal entities of private law and of public utility.

University autonomy is guaranteed by the Constitution. Academic freedom is guaranteed by law. Also, public accountability is regulated for any higher education institution, public or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The nomenclature of fields and specializations/academic study programs per union
• the structure of accredited public and private higher education institutions or authorized to operate provisionally, with:
  • fields of bachelor’s academic studies and the accredited or provisionally authorized specializations/study programs,
  • locations of delivery,
  • the number of transferable study credits for each academic study program,
  • form of education and language of instruction,
  • the maximum number of students who can be enrolled

The mission of higher education is to generate and transfer knowledge to society both through initial and continuous university-level training, for the purpose of personal development, professional insertion of the individual and meeting the competence needs of the socioeconomic environment, as well as through scientific research, development, innovation and technology transfer, through individual and collective creation, in the fields of sciences, engineering sciences, arts, letters, by ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as the valorization and dissemination of their results. All these are accomplished while observing the following principles:

a) the principle of university autonomy;

b) the principle of academic freedom;

c) the principle of public accountability;

d) the principle of quality assurance;

e) the principle of equity;

f) the principle of managerial and financial efficiency;

g) the principle of transparency;

h) the principle of respecting the rights and freedoms of students and academic staff;

i) the principle of independence from ideologies, religions and political doctrines;

j) the principle of national and international mobility freedom for students, teaching staff and researchers;

k) the principle of consulting social partners in decision making;

l) the principle of student-centered education.

Structure of appointed year (according to Law no. 1/2011 – art. 136)

• The academic year usually begins on the first working day of October, includes two semesters and ends on September 30 of the following calendar year.
• A semester usually lasts 14 weeks of teaching activities followed, usually, by a minimum of 3 weeks of exams.
• The structure of the academic year is approved by the university senate.
• When assigning transferable study credits for a semester, a period of at least 17 weeks is considered.
• The university senate of each higher education institution approves annually, at least 3 months before the beginning of the academic year, the regulation regarding soprovisionally/accredited under the law, initial and continuous training at university level, programs that operate on the principle of quality and correlation of the educational offer with the labor market. the professional activity of students, as well as the calendar of educational activities specific to the academic study semesters.

In the case of incorrect completion due to the fault of the educational institution issuing the original study document or in the case of presenting the original study document damaged to the extent that it can no longer produce the effects for which it was issued, based on a written request from the applicant, the educational institution that issued the respective document shall issue a duplicate, drawn up on the basis of the documents found in the archive of the educational institution from which the applicant's academic situation results.

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

a) the notarial/consular declaration, given by the holder of the document, which includes all the necessary identification elements, the circumstances in which the original document was lost, as well as other details confirming the disappearance of the respective study document. The following mention is mandatory: "the original study document was not left as collateral/guarantee at a state or private institution, in the country or abroad, and was not knowingly 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 LI<

c) notarized copy of the birth/marriage certificate;

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

e) the written approval of the school inspectorate's board of administration for the issuance of the duplicate, following the documents submitted by the educational institution.

For more details please consult:

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

This procedure presents the method that must be followed by the persons concerned, regarding the recognition and equivalency of studies completed abroad and the recognition of diplomas of citizens from the member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the Swiss Confederation for enrollment in studies in Romania, from preschool education, primary and secondary education, and high school education.

The Ministry of Education has been running the National Social Protection Program "High School Money" for over 12 years, through which financial support is granted to 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 effective means of information.

The beneficiaries are students who are dependent on families whose gross monthly income per family member, achieved in the three months prior to submitting the application file, is a maximum of 500 lei, as well as students who benefit from a protection measure or are under guardianship or curatorship, in case of meeting the income condition specified above.

The documents will be submitted as copies, provided that, when submitting 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, throughout the duration of the courses, if all the legal conditions provided are met, the amount of 250 lei/month.
In addition to indexing this amount (from 180 lei/month), the value of the maximum threshold for granting the scholarship has also been increased from 150 lei to 500 lei/family member, given the need to correlate the support granting threshold with the current economic situation.

1. Enrollment in pre-university education

1.1. Admission conditions

1.1.1. Students from non-EU states may be enrolled in pre-university education in Romania if one of the parents, guardians, or legal supporters falls under one of the following situations:

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

1.2. Application file

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

Copies of identity documents of the student and the parents/guardian/legal supporter (student birth certificate, student passport, parent passport, student residence permit, parent residence permit, if held);
Copy and notarized translation of the student's birth certificate;
Copy of the court decision regarding the custody of the minor child, if applicable;
Copies and notarized translations of school records;
Study enrollment request, endorsed by the management of the educational unit where enrollment will be made.

1.3. Enrollment for studies

1.3.1. Enrollment is carried out by approval issued by MEN – DGRIAE, based on the study documents in the personal file, without differential exams.

1.3.2. Enrollment of students from non-EU states, based on periods of study completed abroad, proven by school records, can also be carried out during the school year, in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on the organization and functioning of pre-university educational units, approved by the 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 carried out in a class lower than the level of studies indicated by 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 at all levels, foreign citizens who have obtained a form of protection in Romania can be schooled under the same conditions as Romanian citizens. The class in which students in this category who do not have study documents can be enrolled will be determined following an evaluation carried out by the school nominated by ISJ/ISMB.

2. Sitting 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 sit, upon request, the national baccalaureate exam, depending on the profile of the completed pre-university studies, in an exam center designated by the County Baccalaureate Commission / the Municipality of Bucharest.

2.2. Sitting 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 conditional upon payment of the tuition fee, according to the provisions of Law no. 1/2011.

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

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

There is no upper age limit for those who wish to enroll in this program. The condition is that they must be at least 4 years older than the age corresponding to the class and be in one of the following situations:

For the Second Chance – primary education: program

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

For the Second Chance – lower secondary education: program

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

or:

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

The Second Chance program is a flexible program, designed to motivate students and encourage them to complete it, to give schools more autonomy in its implementation, as well as to provide the necessary support to all involved, through teacher training programs and educational materials for students and teachers. The program introduced innovative elements in the educational process, such as: the modular curriculum and the credit system for basic education, evaluation, certification and recognition of skills previously acquired by students, providing an individualized training program.

Enrollment in the Second Chance program can be done each 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 acquire skills, as a result of participation in cooperative learning activities, in real contexts, and with tasks and themes that respond to their interests and needs.

Learning will take place in small groups (8-15 students in each class). Courses can be held according to several timetable options (in the afternoons or evenings during the week, Saturdays or during school holidays, etc.) depending on the possibilities of students and teachers. Individual consultation hours are planned and available to students.

The program has a flexible duration. The average schooling duration (2 years for primary education, 4 years for lower secondary education) can be shortened for each student, depending on proven competencies, both in basic education and in vocational training.

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

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

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - lower secondary education can continue their studies in upper secondary education (upper cycle of high school) or can complete practical training stages, after which they have the possibility to obtain a level 3 Professional Qualification Certificate.

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

Enrollment in primary education is done based on 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 education units, these being obligated to provide information and counseling regarding the enrollment process.

The lists with school catchment areas must be displayed at the headquarters of the inspectorates and education units, and parents must be informed about the content of educational activities taking place 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 psychomotor development is appropriate.

All education units are obliged to offer information regarding the procedure for enrolling children in primary education, regardless of whether the parents are part of the respective catchment area or not.