We appeal to the teaching staff to suspend the protest actions

“To the National Council of Students. Dear students, the legislative and governmental coalition, the Government of Romania and all the institutions with attributions in the field of wages and education understand the importance of the educational process, for the support and financing of which we continue to increase the necessary financial resources. As Prime Minister, as I had the opportunity to convey to you during the meeting with the representatives of parents and students, I engaged since taking office the dialogue with the trade union leaders in education, with the help of which we managed, in the last year and a half, to make important progress both in increasing teachers’ incomes, as well as in increasing the funding necessary for Education”, according to the letter signed by Nicolae Ciucă.

He appreciates that the amount of 8 billion lei added to the budgets of the education system and the 3.6 billion euros – funds from PNRR for the modernization and reconstruction of the school infrastructure “are already generating significant changes for the better”.

“I have full confidence that all these investments will be found in increasing the quality of the educational act. The moment chosen by the leaders of the education unions and the initiation of the strike determines us, at the level of the Executive and the legislative and governmental coalition, to share your concerns, the students’, but also the parents’, regarding this blockage. The most affected are, at this moment, the eighth grade students and those preparing for the Baccalaureate, whose future also depends on a predictable calendar of exams planned in the next period. Education is a basic pillar of the functioning of a society and is the number 1 priority of the government program. I appreciate and, at the same time, I am happy about your support for the teachers who train you in class. This confirms to me, once again, that the teachers in Romania enjoy your respect. For our part, at the level of the Romanian Government, we want to strengthen the respect and appreciation for the work that every teacher in the country puts in on a daily basis. That is why, as I have already mentioned, both I, on behalf of the Government I lead, as well as my colleagues from the executive apparatus, as well as those from the Coalition, will ensure that the work of a teacher will be appreciated from all points of view , including financial”, adds the prime minister.

“I know that a child’s education is priceless and together we will do everything possible so that every teacher in the country feels that the dedication in the classroom is respected. Regarding the concern regarding final year students taking exams, we understand the impact of possible delays and do our best to ensure that they do not occur. Any claim cannot and must not have the effect of blocking students’ schooling and this is the priority that each of us must understand and whose solution can only be reached through dialogue, reason and consistency in decisions. We also appeal to the teaching staff to suspend the protest actions, in order to carry out the essential activities at the end of the school year. I am convinced that even their lordships do not want to see that their work remains without purpose and the students they have guided for so many years will have their educational path blocked. The future of students is now in the hands of each of us, those who, through dialogue, are obliged to immediately overcome this moment and offer children unrestricted access to education”, concludes Ciucă.

Teaching and non-teaching staff have been on strike since Monday. The education unions announced, on Thursday evening, that they are demanding a 25% increase in the incomes of all employees and the salary at the level of the gross average in the country for beginners.