Besides
\nthe excitement and enthusiasm typical of any beginning, the start of a new
\nschool year in Romania is usually accompanied by lots of unresolved things. One
\nof them has turned into an issue for many parents: where and with whom are
\ntheir children going to spend the time after finishing classes and until their
\nparents come back from work? Some are lucky to benefit from the help of nannies
\nor grandparents, others resort to after-school programmes. Services provided by
\nsuch schools, however, are individual solutions and most of the time cost more
\nthan a family with average incomes can afford. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
However,
\nthe education law, adopted in 2011, stipulates in article 58 that all education
\ninstitutions in Romania can benefit from an out-of-school learning programme.
\nAccording to the law, this public – not private – programme was meant to
\nprovide children with the right space to do their homework, to get additional
\nhelp in learning but also with a warm meal, thus helping prevent, among other
\nthings, school-dropout and aiding disadvantaged families. Although everything
\nlooks very good on paper, in reality, this programme and the legal provisions
\nregulating it have never been implemented. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The
\nHuman Catalyst NGO started a study into how the after-school programme should
\nbe applied in Romania. Here is Laura Marin, the president of this NGO:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
In theory, schools are supposed to
\nconduct a needs analysis to identify what needs to be done to consolidate the
\nknowledge acquired by children in class when they are out of school. Schools
\nshould then propose a number of activities to be carried after or before
\nregular school hours. As regards the funding of this programme, both the law
\nand the implementing regulations mention four sources: the local authorities,
\nsponsorship, European funds and even the state budget for disadvantaged
\nchildren. Parents’ contribution is also mentioned as a possible source.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
This
\nis a means of reducing not just the school dropout rate, but also address other
\nproblems facing disadvantaged families. Laura Marin, from the Human Catalyst
\nNGO, tells us what these problems are:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
In
\nrural areas the poverty rate is three times higher than in the urban areas and
\nthis leads to a low level of education in the family, improper living and
\nstudying conditions, etc. There are children who live with their parents in
\njust one room or in a shack, with no electricity, not even a table to do their
\nhomework on or a place to keep their school books. Can you imagine what this
\nmeans for a child who has to do homework? The legislation on out-of-school
\nlearning is very good and its drafting involved many experts in education. The
\nprogramme is not only about doing your homework in school rather than at home.
\nIt may also include counselling activities with parents, personal development
\nactivities, health education, sports activities and other activities that may
\nlead to achievements. Anything that is not done in class may be covered by such
\nout-of-school learning programmes. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
According to the studies conducted
\nby the Human Catalyst NGO, less than 15% of children from disadvantaged
\nfamilies benefit from additional educational support, and even when it exists,
\nit is provided by NGOs rather than the state. This is despite the fact that
\nthere are some 300,000 primary and secondary school children in Romania who
\nstudy in disadvantaged schools, facing a high risk of school dropout. According
\nto Eurostat the school dropout rate in Romania stood at 19% in 2015, which is
\n6% more than the EU average. However, it’s not just poor families and children
\nthat could benefit from the out-of-school programme. Anemari Necsulescu is a
\nprogramme director with Habitat for Humanity Romania and has a son in the
\nfourth grade who would very much need an after-school programme:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We
\nhave been paying a neighbour to pick our son from school every day. However,
\nshe is getting old and he is growing up so it’s become hard for her to keep an
\neye on him or help him with his homework. So we had to choose a private
\nafter-school programme with the financial help of the entire family. There are
\nwomen, however, who cannot benefit from such help from their extended family,
\nand are therefore forced to give up their jobs because it’s cheaper than pay
\nfor an after-school programme.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The research conducted by the Human
\nCatalyst NGO has shown that the state out-of-school programme has not been
\nimplemented mainly for financial reasons. In an attempt to find out the
\nspecific problems, the organisation approached the finance and education
\nministries. Laura Marin tells what the answer was:<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We
\nfist got a official letter from the finance ministry saying that while the
\nregulation on out-of-school programmes is included in the 2011 education law
\nand the implementing regulations, the education ministry has never requested a
\nbudget to fund the programme. The finance ministry cannot allocate a budget
\nunless the education ministry makes a request to this end.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
After a lot of lobbying and meetings
\nwith the education ministers over the last two years, the representatives of
\ncivil society achieved something. The education ministry says it intends to
\ninclude the out-of-school programme into the 2017 state budget for a number of
\n50 schools. On the basis of an improved methodology, for the 2017 financial
\nyear, more precisely in the second semester of the school year, we will include
\nin the ministry’s budget money for the implementation of the out-of-school
\nprogramme in the 50 schools where children benefit from free meals starting
\nthis autumn, said state secretary Monica Anisie. Other funding resources may
\ninclude the EU structural funds, with funding lines for schools at high social and
\neducational risk. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While state-run out-of-school programmes are provided for by law, they have yet to be implemented.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":142030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42997],"tags":[43565],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-142029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-today","tag-out-of-school-learning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n