Romanian high-school students’ ideological profile

High-schools student in Romania and their perception of today's reality

Radio România Internațional, 01.01.2024, 12:00

We’re speedily nearing the end of an eventful year, election-wise, with people taking a broadside at candidates because of their poor pool of proposals capable of getting youngsters interested in candidates’ profile. In turn, youngsters have been criticized for their low turnout on election day.

School-wise, the civic education class was also criticized and rated as insufficient.

All things considered, a recent survey has created a profile, also an ideological profile, at that, of high-school students from across Romania.

At present, the school curriculum includes only one single civic education class per week, and that only in secondary school. Nevertheless, half of the schools do not have a vacancy for the teachers trained to teach civic education. In most of the cases, the subjects is usually taught by teachers who are qualified to teach another discipline.

Recent research has shown that more than a third of the teachers teaching social education in Romania would prefer a strong leader, who is capable of ignoring the democratic leverage. The support of some undemocratic forms of leadership by the teaching staff apparently comes from the younger teachers.

Furthermore, less than half of the teachers teaching social education have participated, in the last three years, in professional training programmes that are relevant for this subject

Mihaela Nabăr, executive manager for World Vision Romania said the following:

“Democracy, our rights and freedoms have become frail because we did not have real and on-time educational reforms, we did not invest in civic education among children and youngsters as well as at the level of society in general. All that leads up to the lack of understanding caused by part of the decisions we make, the voting decisions included. One thing is clear, though: an appreciable part of Romania has not been heard or paid heed to.

These days we have witnessed the existence of serious confusions of concept and terms, such as democratic values as opposed to Christianity, sovereignty as being tantamount to well-being and we have found out we can be easily manipulated into believing something, without questioning it, which is a fake piece of news. “

Results of a survey carried by World Vision Romania show the vast majority of the Romanian high-school students are in favour of a left-of-centre ideology (84%). A low percentage of them favour political extremism, far-left (7%) but also far-right ( 1%). Youngsters expect the state to offer quality healthcare services, quality education and equal lights for all citizens.

82% of youngsters believe their vote matters. Furthermore, 77% of respondents think the environment needs to be protected at all costs for the future generations. The other 23% of them believes environment resources need to be used for development and progress.

Mihaela Nabar also said:

“The ranking of indicators of a value-ideological orientation shows that high-school students are [preoccupied with political ideas and themes, they set up debates, among them and in the milieus they belong to, at once trying to get themselves ready for the value social backdrop they would enter as adults.

A great part of the themes is indicative of the importance of the debate for youngsters, of the exchange of arguments, of preparing these kids for their involvement in public life, so they can be less vulnerable to manipulation and to messages of populist origin” World Vision Romania representatives have stated.

Some of the survey’s most interesting conclusions could be the differences of opinion between boys and girls, with the girls having a stronger leftist leaning. Such differences weigh more than their origin (rural vs urban). For instance, 65% of the girls think a woman’s right to having an abortion should be unrestricted, while a mere 56% of the boys share such an opinion.

Also, whereas 18% of the boys think that, although a women can have her own career path, her main duty is that of being a housewife and a mother, a mere 6% of the girls share the same opinion. Differences are not significant, between the rural and the urban environment (14% versus 12%).

The perception of homosexuality has been the most disputed value theme, dividing high school students into two almost equal groups. Almost 47% of them view homosexuality as a disease, an abnormal phenomenon. Girls have embraced libertarian attitudes to a greater extent, focusing on individual rights, with 67% of them considering homosexuality as something normal. A mere 42% of the boys have the same opinion.

On one hand, there are girls who have been increasingly assertive with regard to the values of the individual rights, which reflect opinions on the women’s role, the rights of sexual minorities, the freedom of expression. One the other hand, there are boys who have embraced rather conservative attitudes regarding such aspects.

For 16 of the 10 indicators used in the outlining of the political compass, the differences between girls and boys are significant (…) The ideological differences based on gender criteria within the same generation have the potential of creating dissonance on the relational market, the marital market included. Value-wise, youngsters find themselves to a less extent in their relationship with person of the opposite gender within the same generation. “ World Vision Romania representatives have concluded.