Education and Schools in Romania

There are numerous ongoing challenges for the education system in Romania, including low state expenditure, significant disparities in quality between urban and rural schools, student underachievement, and resource constraints in many schools. As public education is taught in Romanian, most expats choose to send their children to international or private schools, especially as the quality of education is higher in these schools.

All children in Romania must attend school from the age of four or five for 15 years to Grade 12, but many children also attend kindergarten at three years old.

Public schools in Romania

Public education in Romania is free for residents. There aren’t many first-class schools in the country, and those schools with a good reputation often have long waiting lists. As a result, overcrowding at these schools is common.

Schools in Bucharest and other large cities significantly outperform those in rural areas. Urban schools have better equipment, staffing, educational programmes, and learning resources. Rural schools tend to struggle with teacher shortages and may offer limited grade levels. Students must often travel to nearby towns for a complete secondary education.

Given that students are taught in Romanian, public schools might not be the best option for expats unless their children are young and the family intends to stay in the country for the long term.

The Ministry of Education provides Romanian language introductory courses for foreign children to help them integrate into the public school system, although availability may vary by location.

Education and Schools in Bucharest

Useful links

• Romanian Ministry of Education
• CNRED: National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas
• Study in Romania: Official Government Portal

Private and international schools in Romania

The number of private schools in Romania has increased since the 1990s. Private education is available from kindergarten to high school and does not usually follow the national curriculum. Romanian private schools can be expensive.

For expats in Romania, international schools are the most popular choice. These schools are concentrated in Bucharest, with additional options in cities like Cluj-Napoca and Constanța. Although there isn’t an extensive selection, there are a few to choose from. Tuition is expensive, but these schools all offer quality education for the expat community. International schools in Romania can benefit parents too, as they can help them make new acquaintances and form social connections.

International schools in Romania offer various curricula, like the International Baccalaureate and British (Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels) and American curricula. Some schools provide bilingual or trilingual education. In order to enrol in a Romanian international school, expats will have to provide a selection of documents, including application forms, prior school records, references and the child’s birth certificate.

Best International Schools in Bucharest

Special educational needs in Romania

The Romanian government has an inclusion policy which aims to integrate children with special educational needs in Romania into mainstream schools. The actual implementation is an ongoing challenge, and only a small proportion of these learners actually attend mainstream schools alongside their peers. There are some recent initiatives to improve inclusion, including new teacher training toolkits launched by UNICEF and the National Association for Special Educational Needs.

Several schools in Bucharest, especially international schools, have facilities and trained staff to assist children with special needs. Many schools also have specialised occupational therapists and other special needs professionals in place to help these children. Only if a child cannot adapt to mainstream schooling will they be transferred to a special-needs school.

Useful links

• UNICEF Romania: Inclusive Education
• NASEN Inclusive Education Toolkit
• Eurydice Special Education Needs Provision

Tutors in Romania

Private tutoring in Romania has become a significant part of the education system, and many families use it to supplement their children’s education both in public and private schools. Private home or online tutors are available in Romania to assist children with particular subjects and additional school support. Expats moving to rural areas will most likely struggle to find an in-person tutor and should opt for online tutoring instead.

Those living in Romanian cities may find it helpful to hire a tutor to help their child adapt to their new school curriculum, if different from their schooling at home, as well as the language of instruction. Romanian can be a challenging language to learn, and it may be helpful to have extra Romanian lessons with a tutor.

There are many websites and companies that advertise private online or home tutors in Romania. Popular platforms include Verbling, Tutoroo, Preply, italki and LanguaTalk, which connect students with qualified Romanian and subject tutors online.

Useful links

• Verbling
• Preply
• italki
• Tutoroo