Primary education is a part of the compulsory education and can be organised in public and private schools.

In accordance with School Education Law (Law 198/2023), primary education includes:

• the preparatory grade
• I to IV grades.

A class of students in primary education has one teacher and 16 students on average, but no less than 10 and no more than 22 students.

In exceptional circumstances, student formations may function with at most 2 beneficiaries under the minimum number or over the maximum number, with the approval of the County School Education Department / Bucharest School Education Department*, based on a motivation of the board of the school requesting an exception from the provisions on the establishment of learning formations in primary education. In case of requests for more than 2 beneficiaries in excess of the maximum number, approvals will be given by the Ministry of Education based on a methodology approved by a ministerial order.

Textbooks for public primary education are provided free of charge.

Regular assessment conducted in class, both summative and formative assessment, is founded on the School Education Law 198/2023, as subsequently complemented and amended.

The results of assessment in primary education are expressed, except for the preparatory grade where there are no grades/marks or descriptors, with the descriptors „very good”, „good”, „sufficient” and „insufficient”.

Order of the Education and Research Minister 4183/2022 advances the Regulation for the organisation and functioning of school education establishments updating the range of assessment tools used in schools in regular assessment. They may include:

• assessment with oral questions,
• written tests,
• scientific experiments and practical activities,
• reports,
• projects,
• other tools determined by the curriculum board and approved by the head teacher or developed by the Ministry of Education / School Inspectorates.

At the end of grades 2 and 4, students take national tests, which are written and mandatory, in Language and Communication, Mathematics and Science, based on a methodology approved by an order of the education minister. These assessments also include items to evaluate the level of students’ functional literacy. The test in Language and Communication also includes mother tongue for students from classes where the teaching language is a national minority language. The results of assessments contribute to monitoring the quality of learning, with an adjusting role at system level.

*In accordance with School Education Law 198/2023, County School Education Departments / Bucharest School Education Department were established as deconcentrated public services of the Ministry of Education with a legal person status, through a reorganisation of the County School Inspectorates / Bucharest School Inspectorate. As from the date of the reorganisation of these institutions subordinated to Ministry of Education, the names “County School Inspectorates / Bucharest School Inspectorate” will be read as “County School Education Departments / Bucharest School Education Department”.