According to the Education Code, the Ministry of Education and Research is the central authority that approves state educational standards, regardless of the type of ownership and legal form of organisation of the educational institution. 

The normative document that is compulsory for all school education institutions is the Framework Plan for primary, lower and upper secondary education, approved by the Ministry of Education on a yearly basis, in which the compulsory and optional subjects and the school curricula are established.

In general education, the National Curriculum includes: the reference framework, the framework plan for preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education, the curriculum for early education, the curricula of mandatory and optional subjects, school textbooks, methodological guides, and other learning resources. 

Curriculum, subjects, number of hours

The structure of the curriculum is defined within the Reference Framework of the National Curriculum. The curriculum for general education is approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.

The curriculum may be adapted or modified to meet the needs of children and pupils with special educational requirements. The curriculum progression is reflected in the individualised educational plan for the child/pupil with special educational requirements.

The framework plan includes mandatory subjects/activities, optional subjects, as well as the maximum and minimum number of hours.

Optional subjects included in the framework plan account for 15-20% in lower secondary education. The share of optional subjects increases in the final grades of lower secondary education. 

The framework plan is mandatory for all general education institutions and is approved by the Ministry of Education and Research at least six months before the start of the new school year.

In the case of alternative education, framework plans and curricular programmes are developed by representatives of the implementing institutions and approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.

Second-level local public administration authorities and those of Gagauzia may establish the local component of the curriculum for subordinate institutions, which account for a maximum of 5% of the quota of optional subjects in lower secondary education.

Lower secondary education teachers, in elaboration of subject curricula, have to follow the methodological guidelines/benchmarks regarding the organisation of educational process elaborated for each subject, approved annually by the Ministry of Education and Research.

The framework plan foresees seven mandatory curricular areas of subjects to be taught: Language and Communication, Mathematics and Sciences, Socio-humanistic education, Arts, Technologies, Sports, Counselling and Personal Development.

Every pupil, except in specialised classes/institutions and bilingual ones, is required to study an optional subject, based on the framework plan selected for implementation. Once the option for a particular subject is expressed, attending the classes and fulfilling the curricular requirements become mandatory.

In May of each year, the pupils' parents/legal representatives should express, in written, their requests regarding the study of optional subjects for the following study year. The educational institution is responsible for establishing and applying the flexible component of the Education Framework Plan (seven optional subjects) in accordance with the Instruction regarding the selection process and organisation of optional subjects in secondary education. The optional component of the Educational Framework Plan, established based on the pupils' request, is approved by the institution's Teacher Council, no later than September 15.

Example of curriculum, for the 2023-2024 academic year, with the breakdown of teaching hours for different subjects is presented in the table below. For the optional subject, there is a list of 46 recommended subjects included in the Framework plan.

In case of bilingual groups (teaching in Romanian and French): the number of hours for the main foreign language is doubled and there is no optional course available. Thus, the total number of hours per week increases by one for each grade. There a mandatory subject to be taught in foreign language: Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry. Upon graduation from lower secondary school, pupils will take the Mathematics exam in the language in which they studied the discipline.

Teaching methods and materials

There are methodological guidelines/benchmarks regarding the organisation of educational process elaborated for each subject, approved annually by the Ministry of Education and Research. 

In the teaching-learning process in secondary education, the pupils are engaged in problem-solving through research, which fosters problem-based learning through and discovery. It also provides favourable conditions for the pathway of acquired knowledge in various areas, including everyday life and the area determined by the curriculum area. In this respect, the teachers use every opportunity to exemplify the applications of school subjects in everyday life and in different areas. Thus, a teacher: 

• considers the possibilities offered by school textbooks for making interdisciplinary connections (integrative problems, problem-situations present in the textbooks; integrative items present in the assessment tests, etc.); 

• systematically organises practical activities, including fieldwork, laboratory work, graphic work with an interdisciplinary and/or applied aspect; 

• selects integrative problems from teaching and methodological materials and proposes them to pupils during various events (lessons, extra-curricular activities, Olympiads, etc.); 

• carries out STEM and STEAM projects jointly with teachers of different school subjects. 

Teachers have the freedom and responsibility to choose teaching-learning-assessment technologies. The teacher is responsible for the design of the teaching process. Each teacher's competencies are reflected in the pupils' results. From this perspective, the subject-based curriculum guides the teacher to apply formative teaching strategies; apply active and interactive methods; apply learning activities focused on problem-based approach, investigation, heuristics, case studies, etc.; focus on the formation of competencies and values; establish the interconnection between contents and teaching strategies; carry out instruction through cooperation and reverse connection; and carry out a permanent evaluation of school performance.

The estimated duration for preparing homework for all school subjects for the next day is approximately 2.5 hours.

Teaching materials:

• In general education institutions, school textbooks developed based on the National Curriculum are selected and edited through competition, based on a regulation approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.

• Alternative textbooks, developed based on the National Curriculum, selected through a competition and recommended by the Ministry of Education and Research, can be used in general education institutions.

The secondary school pupils are provided with school textbooks free of charge.