Lower secondary education is – along with preschool education, primary education and high-school education – part of compulsory education. 

Lower secondary education lasts for 4 years and covers grades 5 to 8. Students’ age is generally between 11/12 years and 14/15 years.

Compulsory education is full-time education. For people who are 4 or more years older than the usual age of a particular grade, lower secondary education may also be organised as part-time education in accordance with a methodology approved by an Order of the education minister, or within the programme “A Second Chance”.

In cases related to students’ health condition, full-time education may be organised as home education or, as appropriate, in a hospital.

Students who have completed lower secondary education take the National Student Assessment. This is mandatory. The National Student Assessment taken by the students who completed grade 8 includes tests in Romanian language and literature, in mathematics, and also in the mother tongue for those students who attended lower secondary education in a national minority language.

The overall legal framework for the organisation and functioning of lower secondary education is provided by School Education Law (Law 198/2023 as subsequently amended and complemented).

The specific organisational framework covering the entire activity of schools is laid down by the Framework Rules for the Organisation and Functioning of School Education Establishments (ROFUIP), which was approved by Ministerial Order No 5.726/06.08.2024, as subsequently amended and complemented. Other specific orders issued by the Education Minister lay down the framework curriculum, the subject curricula and the endorsed textbooks, the assessment and examination system, the structure of the school year, the organisation of second chance programmes, School After School programmes, etc.

Types of institution

Lower secondary education may be delivered in different types of educational establishments, but it is most often organised together with primary education (the preparatory grade and grade 1-4) in lower secondary schools (middle schools) covering education from the preparatory grade to grade 8.

In urban areas in particular there are schools offering both primary and lower secondary education or/and high-school education, or schools offering only high-school education (grades 9-12/13).

In the majority of counties there is a provision of arts and sports education for students with aptitudes in these areas. Schools that provide arts or sports education may have either an additional or an integrated programme in that particular area and they are approved by a ministerial order based on proposals from School Inspectorates.

National minorities are entitled to studies and instruction in their mother tongue, at all levels and for all types and forms of school education, as provided by law. 
Educational establishments where the language of instruction is a national minority language may be established by any of the following: 

• local or county public authorities
• religious cults recognized by law
• legal persons under private law
• the education minister.

Public confessional schools may be set up – with the approval of the Ministry of Education – based on requests from parents, guardians or the religious cults recognized by the State.

Geographical accessibility

Generally, the distribution of lower secondary schools in the territory responds to population’s needs.

In order to enhance development opportunities for schools in disadvantaged areas, mountain areas, rural and/or remote areas, as well as to reduce the risk of school dropout and school failure, the Ministry of Education has identified some mechanisms to encourage the participation of such schools in school consortia.

In some areas, local public authorities may provide – with the approval of School Inspectorates – for school transportation. 

To improve access to education for all, School Education Law 198/2023 stipulates as follows:

• students in accredited/authorised school education are offered free local public transport services, including metropolitan and county transport; this applies to road, marine, subway and railway transport, for all types of trains, the economy class, throughout the school year
• students accommodated in boarding schools or those who rent a room from a landlord in the locality where they attend school have the costs of transport reimbursed for the travel between the locality of the school and their home locality as follows: (i) the cost of 4 round trips a month, covered from the budget of the Ministry of Education, is reimbursed by their schools, and (ii) the cost of one round trip taken during each legal holiday, covered from the budget of the Ministry of Education, is reimbursed by their schools. 

Admission requirements and choice of school

The enrolments for all levels of public education are determined annually by a Government Decision based on proposals from the Ministry of Education.
The school network is organised: 

• by the local public authorities, with the endorsement of the School Inspectorates, for public, private and confessional schools,
• by the county councils or, as appropriate, by the local councils of the districts of Bucharest, after a consultation of social partners and with the endorsement of the Ministry of Education, for special education, including for inclusive education centres.

A proposal of the Ministry is preceded by a succession of underlying-design-consultation phases which involve the following:

• the School Inspectorates collect the requests of schools that organise groups of students and send them to the Ministry of Education
• the responsible department of the Ministry of Education gathers, analyses, endorses the requests and puts them forward for approval by the senior management of the Ministry.

All students who complete primary education (preparatory grade to grade 4) are admitted to lower secondary education (grades 5-8). 

Schools that set up a grade 5 where a world language is taught intensively and for which the number of applications is larger than the number of places approved in the enrolment plan may organise a language test in accordance with the Framework Rules for the Organisation and Functioning of Classes with Intensive or Bilingual Teaching of a World Language in School Education which are in force. 

Schools with an artistic profile that have no primary education classes and set up a grade 5 with an artistic profile may organise tests/examinations to assess specific aptitudes.

Schools with a sports profile that have no primary education classes and set up a grade 5 with a sports profile may organise tests/examinations to assess specific aptitudes. 

Schools that set up a grade 5 for which the number of applications is larger than the number of places approved in the enrolment plan may organise tests/examinations in two school subjects at most.

The enrolment plan for grade 5, which is approved on an annual basis, provides for a number of places at least equal to the number of students who complete primary education in every locality, or in neighbouring localities in rural areas.

Schools with compulsory education classes cater for – with priority in primary and lower secondary education and within the limit of their approved enrolment plan – students who reside in their catchment area. Students are enrolled based on an application from a parent, their guardian or a legal provider.

The parent / guardian / legal provider is entitled to apply to other school than the one in their catchment area. The board of the school approves the enrolment of the student concerned, within the limit of its enrolment plan, after making sure that students in its catchment area are catered for. 

Continuity in the study of foreign languages is usually ensured when students are enrolled in lower secondary education, high-school education or vocational education and training.

Students in public and private education may transfer to other public or private schools with the agreement of the receiving school.

Age levels and grouping of pupils/ students

Throughout lower secondary education, each subject in the framework curriculum is taught by a specialist teacher. As a rule, the same teacher teaches a particular class of students in all grades in which their subject is taught at an educational level. 

The grouping of students moving from grade 4 to grade 5 is usually kept the same as in primary education.

For newly established groups of students in grade 5, where there are two or more classes of 5 graders, the board of the school choose one of the two variants for randomly distributing students into groups: 

• in alphabetical order
• by drawing.

The number of students in a class depends on the educational level and is provided for in School Education Law 198/2023.

In lower secondary education, a class of students includes 18 students on average, but not less than 10 and no more than 26. 

For every SEN student integrated into mainstream education, the maximum number of students in a class is less by 3.

In exceptional situations, classes may work with 2 students at most below or above the minimum and the maximum number of students respectively, with the approval of School Inspectorates based on a justification given by the board of the school concerned. In cases where schools request more than 2 places above the maximum number, the approval is granted by the Ministry of Education.

In administrative-territorial units which are remote or linguistically isolated or where the numbers of students in particular grades of lower secondary education are lower than the minimum numbers stipulated by law and there is no possibility to provide school transportation, simultaneous grades may be set up in accordance with a methodology approved by an Order of the education minister. Grade 8 is set up as a separate class of students irrespective of the number of students.

Students with exceptional aptitudes and achievement can complete two school grades in one school year following a procedure approved by ministerial order.

Organisation of  the school year

The organisation of the school year in compulsory education is determined on an annual basis by an Order of the education minister.

The structure of the school year is based on several considerations:

• a balanced distribution of school days and school holidays,
• the specificity of climate in Romania,
• the respect for people’s religious beliefs.

The National Curriculum includes the framework curricula, the subject curricula and the national assessment standards.

The framework curricula include the compulsory and optional subjects, fields of study and training modules, and the time allocated to each of them.

The framework curricula specify:

•  the core curriculum, which is made up of subjects that are compulsory for all students in lower secondary education and in high-school (upper-secondary) education, for the academic and aptitudinal paths, and is established at central level by an Order of the education minister
• the curriculum of student choices from the school provision, which is made up of subjects/areas of study that are proposed for all students in primary education, lower secondary education and high-school (upper-secondary) education, the academic and aptitudinal paths, and is developed at national, regional, local or school level. Students may choose particular subjects/areas of study from their school’s provision based on their needs and interests in gaining knowledge. 

Every school is responsible for setting the daily and weekly timetable for every class of students. 

The precise calendar of the school year is established annually by an Order of the education minister and is structured across intervals of classes and intervals of holidays. The structure of the school year also includes the national programme A Different Kind of School (an atypical school week) and the programme Green Week. These two programmes take place as decided by schools themselves. In extraordinary well-founded situations, depending on local special climate conditions and the specificity of schools, the School Inspectorates may approve changes to the structure of a school year requested by the boards of schools; such changes are laid down in a ministerial order.

Organisation of the school day and week

Students go to school 5 days a week. The daily and weekly timetable in lower secondary education are set by the board of each school following a consultation with teachers and parents taking into account the following criteria:

• the number of lessons a week provided for in the framework curricula for every subject and every grade,
• the total minimum and maximum number of lessons a week for each grade,
• for the grades in lower secondary education, high-school (upper secondary) education and post-secondary education, lessons last for 50 minutes, with a 10-minute break after each lesson; after the third lesson, there may be a 15 to 20-minute break.

In schools that work in shifts due to their low schooling capacity, some classes study in the afternoon hours. Because a particular class of students study either in the morning or in the afternoon, the school timetables do not usually include an explicit lunch break. The only exception is in those cases where schools decide to conduct after school activities when the lessons have finished.

Schools may, based on a decision of their board, extend their activities for students after lessons through School After School programmes. In a partnership with local public authorities and parents’ associations, a School After School programme offers:

• educational activities
• recreational free-time activities
• activities to strengthen skills or speed up learning
• remedial learning.

Where possible, such a partnership may involve non-governmental organisations with competence in the area. School After School programmes are set up based on a methodology approved by an Order of the Education Minister. Financial support may also be provided by local public authorities, NGOs, natural or legal persons, etc.

Other measures / social programmes designed to ensure access to education: 

Students in boarding schools are offered free meals and accommodation based on the school’s rules for organisation and functioning except for students in post-secondary education. Funding is provided from the budgets of local public authorities.

School Education Law 198/2023 stipulates several facilities such as:

• students in full-time public compulsory school education may receive various types of grants
• the national programme A Healthy Meal, which is progressively extended, in order to support the participation of all children in education
• the national programme Cultural Vouchers for Students designed to promote national and universal culture in school communities
• A Book for Everybody to increase students’ interest in reading, funded from the national budget and from external funds
• for students in schools where the language of instruction is a national minority language, who study the subject Romanian Language and Literature based on a special curriculum, there is a national programme supporting the learning of the Romanian language and literature (PNSILLR) throughout school education
• the programme School After School
• the remedial learning programme
• students get a fee reduction of at least 75 % for access to museums, concerts, drama performances, opera, movies and other cultural or sport events organised by public institutions, within the limits of approved budgets.