2026

The Ministry of Education has continued to implement educational policies intended to ensure equal access to education, reduce school dropout rates and enhance the quality of the educational process through: 

Curricular policies 

New curricula for high-school education 

The new subject curricula for high-school education were approved in April 2026. They will be implemented progressively as from the 2026/2027 school year.

In the 2026/2027 school year, a process will be initiated for a systemic piloting of syllabuses (framework curricula) in public, private and confessional high-school education, delivered as full-time day education, as approved by Order of the Education and Research Minister No 4444/2025, which is intended for those schools looking for an even more autonomous curriculum.

Novelties related to evaluation and assessment in schools 

Since the 2025/2026 school year, all examinations and competitions for students and teachers have had a digital format. The year 2025 was a turning point for reinforcing the national evaluation processes by making digitized marking techniques universal. The use of central digital platforms has removed subjectivity from marking and provided a database to the Ministry, of unprecedented accuracy, which is used in the calculation of structural performance indicators.

Social programmes

The Ministry of Education and Research has continued to carry out its national social programmes on an annual basis.

Curriculum and assessment

New Regulations for a Relevant Curriculum and Open Education (RECRED) project 

The Ministry of Education is implementing the project RECRED, co‑funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), under the Education and Employment Programme 2021–2027. 

Implementation period: 48 months. (2024-2028).

Project aims: RECRED aims to modernize the national curriculum for primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education, through a competence‑based approach aligned with societal needs and labour market requirements. 

Main Areas of Action:

• Curricular capacity building for upper secondary education: Development of accredited training programmes for teachers, supporting competence‑based learning, including digital and green competences.
• National assessment standards: Development of a coherent system of assessment standards for primary and lower secondary education, aligned with international assessments (PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS).
• Open Educational Resources (OER): Development of an integrated package of open digital educational resources, adapted to the post‑pandemic context and to the needs of students at risk of educational exclusion. 

Expected Results:

• A reference framework document for the revised national curriculum
• Methodology for the development of School‑based Curriculum decided by students (CDEOS).
• 2 sets of validated assessment standards for primary and lower secondary education.
• At least 20 curricular implementation guides for upper secondary education.
• At least 300 packages of Open Educational Resources.
• 6 types of accredited training programmes.
• 12,000 teachers graduating RECRED training programmes.
• A CDEOS monitoring mechanism. 

In the project “New regulations for a Relevant Curriculum and Open Education” (RECRED), the first stage in the elaboration of national assessment standards for subjects of the core curriculum in primary and lower secondary education was completed in 2026. To follow up on this, a process was initiated for piloting the national assessment standards for primary and lower secondary education, so as they may be validated and adjusted before their implementation at national level.  In July 2026, the national assessment standards developed in the project were subject to public consultation. At the same time, actions were taken to train high-school teachers for the implementation of the new curriculum.

Intervention Mechanism for Functional Literacy in Pre-university Education (MIAF) project 

The Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) is implementing the project MIAF, cofounded under the Education and Employment Programme 2021–2027.

Implementation period: 48 months. (2025-2029).

The project aims: The project aims to improve the functional literacy level of students in primary and lower secondary education through integrated interventions that support both students and teachers. 

Target Areas: 

Functional literacy is addressed in an integrated manner across the following domains: 

• reading 
• mathematics 
• science
• digital education.

Main Activities:

• Development of a functional literacy assessment framework, including 
  • standards 
  • item banks 
  • assessment tests.
• Professional development activities for teachers, focused on functional literacy.
• Design and implementation of a pilot intervention mechanism targeting students in primary and lower secondary education.

In the project “Intervention mechanisms for functional literacy in school education”, which has been implemented as from October 2025, important stages were completed in 2026 in the operationalisation of the project and the establishment of project teams through the organisation of several sessions to recruit and select experts involved in evaluation, training, monitoring and the coordination of the target group. Furthermore, technical activities have been prepared in connection with the development of teaching-learning-assessment benchmarks that focus on functional literacy, as well as with the development of assessment standards, items and tests. 

2025

The Ministry of Education has continued to implement educational policies aimed at ensuring equal access to education, reducing school dropout, and improving the quality of the educational process, through curricular reforms, social support programmes and targeted inclusion measures.

Curricular policies. The new framework curricula for high schools 

Standard version

Order of the Ministry of Education and Research No 4350/2025 approved the new framework curricula for full-time high-school education (covering 37 framework curricula). 

The new curricula: 

• maintain key structural elements from primary and lower secondary education
• introduce elements specific to upper secondary education
• ensure coherence across education levels. 

Curricular areas remain organised as follows:

1. Language and Communication
2. Mathematics and Natural Sciences
3. People and Society
4. Arts
5. Physical Education, Sport and Health
6. Technologies
7. Counselling and Guidance. 

Structure of the Framework Curricula. The framework curricula include three main components:

• Core curriculum
• Specialty curriculum
• Curriculum at the student’s choice from the school provision. 

In line with School Education Law 198/2023, subjects may be organised in modular format, allowing some subjects to be taught over period s shorter than a full school year. 

The framework curricula:

• set the weekly number of lessons for each subject/module
• specify, for the technological pathway, the total number of hours allocated to practical training
• include implementation notes providing clarifications necessary for application. 

Progressive implementation. The new framework curricula will apply progressively, starting with Grade 9 in the 2026/2027 school year. 

Pilot version

The national programme for the systemic piloting of framework curricula for public, private and confessional full-time high-school education, was approved by the Order of the Ministry of Education and Research No 4444/2025 and will apply from the 2026/2027 school year. 

The pilot version is designed for schools seeking enhanced curricular autonomy. 

Key features of the pilot framework:

• schools receive an annual budget of hours
• flexibility to decide the distribution of hours and structure of subjects
• requirement to publicly justify proposals and obtain ministerial approval. 

Key Benefits of the Pilot Framework Curricula 

• Greater flexibility and autonomy: A substantial share is allocated to the curriculum at the student’s choice (up to 2,000 hours per curricular area per education cycle), allowing schools to tailor educational provision to local needs and opportunities.
• Personalised learning pathways: The model supports student centred and differentiated learning routes, adapted to profiles of study, qualifications and vocational or professional fields.
• Stronger links with the community and labour market: Schools may integrate:
  • volunteering activities
  • internships
  • community projects
  • practical workshops and applied learning, in partnership with businesses, NGOs, institutions and local authorities.

Social programs 

To strengthen the social support package for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the Ministry continues to implement annual national programmes: 

• EURO 200 Programme. Financial aid for the purchase of computers, granted on social criteria under Law No. 269/2004, supporting the development of digital competences.
• School Supplies Programme. Distribution of school supplies at the beginning of each school year to students in public full time primary and lower secondary education from families with low incomes.
• National Programme “A Healthy Meal”. Supports participation in education by providing:
  • a free hot meal or food package
  • up to RON 15 per beneficiary per day (VAT included), targeting preschoolers and students attending classes.
• Romania’s Programme for Schools. Provides free: 
  • fruit and vegetables
  • milk and dairy products
  • bakery products, alongside educational activities such as farm visits, thematic events and health education activities.
     

Grants 

A diversified system of grants supports student participation and performance:

• Merit grants. The amount of the grants may be supplemented by the boards of schools depending on the funds allocated to them by the local authorities or other revenues earned under the law.
• Need-based grants (for primary, lower secondary and high-school (upper secondary) education, and also for the programme A Second Chance (for minor students) including part-time students) support the participation in education for the students from disadvantaged families.
• Technological grants (which replace the vocational grant) support the participation in education and school achievement for students enrolled on vocational specialisations.
• Grants for minor mothers support the participation in education and school achievement for minor mothers in full-time education who have their own child/children to provide for.
• Resilience grants.
• Olympic excellence grants.
•  

Student transportation

Students benefit from extensive transport support measures: 

• Free public transport (local, metropolitan, county, subway, waterborne and rail – economy class) throughout the school year. 
• Free subway transport for students living and/or studying in Ilfov County.
• Lump sum transport allowances for students without access to regular public transport.
• Transport costs are reimbursed to operators from the Ministry of Education budget.

Hospital schools

For the first time, Law no. 198/2023 explicitly regulates the organization of education for hospitalised students. 

Hospital schools: 

• provide adapted educational and psychological support
• ensure continuity of learning during hospitalisation.

The methodology regulating their establishment and operation was approved by Order No. 4,026/1,632/2025.

Key provisions include:

• admission of hospitalised students to high school on special places, without national assessment
• tailored educational programmes developed through cooperation between teachers, medical staff and parents.

This approach ensures equal learning opportunities and comprehensive educational, psychological and social support.

Professional standards 

The document A profile and professional standards for teachers in school education, with career stages and education levels, the professional profile and standards reflect teachers’ competences at different stages in their career, namely the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary to provide high-quality education and support each child or youth to reach their development potential.

Teachers’ professional profile and standards are structured across: 

Education levels: 

• early childhood education and care
• primary education
• lower secondary and upper secondary (high school) education
• technological education and dual technological education.

Seven competence areas: 

1. Knowledge about students and how they learn
2. Curriculum and the teaching-learning process
3. Learning environment and wellbeing
4. Student counselling, cooperation with families/guardians and with the community
5. Ethics, reflection and lifelong learning
6. Institutional development
7. Digital technology in education.

Career stages: 

• graduate, with a bachelor's degree
• teaching degree II
• teaching degree I.

2024

Competence-focused curriculum and assessment

A focus on competences and standardised, objective and relevant assessments. Related projects and programmes:

• A new national curriculum is being designed for high-school education.
• Initiation of the development of an assessment framework for functional literacy (standards, sets of items and tests), the development of teachers’ competences and the implementation of a pilot intervention mechanism concerning students’ functional literacy.
• Digitised assessment of written tests at the baccalaureate examination, the national test and the examination for teaching positions extended to all Romanian counties.
• Adoption of a memorandum on Romania’s participation in the second cycle of OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2024 – 2029. PIAAC aims to assess the existing competencies in the labour market among the population aged between 16 and 65. 

Inclusive quality education for all 

Ensuring the functionality of a fair educational system, which allows access to quality inclusive education for all people who, being in the territory of Romania, have a right to education. Related projects and programmes: 

• A grant scheme under the National Programme for Reducing School Dropout, with outcomes concerning a lower risk of school dropout, the participation in and improvement of students’ achievement in national tests, an increase in the share of students completing lower secondary education, an increase in the rate of transition from middle school (lower secondary) to high school (upper secondary).
• National social programmes for students in groups with particular risks carried out on an annual basis: A Second Chance, A Healthy Meal, Material Support for Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), Euro 200, Scholarships, Romania’s Programme for Schools, School Supplies, Transport for Students.
• Ensuring conditions for equal opportunities for students with vision impairment, hearing impairment and neurodevelopmental disorders who take the national examinations, the national test for 8 graders and the national baccalaureate examination.
• Implementation of the project “Competence and efficiency in teaching Romanian to children and students of national minorities of Romania”, which aims to prevent and reduce early school leaving among national minority students in compulsory school education.

The teaching career and professional route 

 An attractive professional option, which enjoys respect in society, generally, and within local communities in particular. Related projects and programmes:

• Development of a profile and professional standards for teachers in school education, per career stages and levels of education.
• Developing/reviewing the regulatory framework for the professionalisation of the teaching career so as to allow the organisation and functioning of a teaching career mentoring (within the project Professionalisation of the teaching career - PROF).
• Projects implemented under the NRRP call for proposals Digital pedagogy for teachers in school education, which aims to develop digital and digital pedagogy skills.
• Projects implemented under the call for proposals A training programme for teachers in high-schools with an agricultural profile, which aim to develop and deliver in-service training programmes for teachers in high-schools with an agricultural/forestry profile.

Funding and the infrastructure of the school education system 

A flexible school funding mechanism, which ensures a correlation between the objectives of the investment policy and the existing needs for modernizing the school infrastructure.

Programmes funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP):

• Projects concerned with providing equipment for schools: equipment for computer science laboratories, furniture for classrooms, equipment for school offices, psychological-pedagogical assistance offices, science laboratories, etc.
• Projects concerned with the implementation of some investments supporting the green transition, energy efficiency, renovation of buildings and circular economy, involving the rehabilitation/construction of new school buildings for the purpose of gaining a ‘green school’ status, as well as the purchase of electrical minibuses.
• Grants for constructing some rural school campuses and providing them with an infrastructure.
• Projects concerned with improving the infrastructure of high schools with an agricultural profile.

Projects funded from reimbursable funds (BIRD):

• The project on ECEC reform (PRET), which aims to improve the quality of the infrastructure of the preschool education system.
• The project Safer, Inclusive and Sustainable Schools, which aims to modernise school infrastructure through the rehabilitation, reinforcement/construction of school buildings in areas in Romania with a high seismic risk.