The return to school – still in doubt

The Romanian authorities have promised to make a decision on reopening schools on 2nd February, ahead of the start of the new semester on 8th. Except for a couple of months, schools have been closed in Romania since March last year, with teaching being conducted exclusively online, amid discontent from pupils, parents, teachers and NGOs in the field of education. Earlier this month, president Klaus Iohannis himself gave a statement saying that the authorities were considering reopening schools on 8th February based on the three-tier scenario used last autumn and which takes into account the local infection rate.

While everyone is waiting for the final decision next week, prime minister Florin Cîțu says what matters is the health situation, emphasising that relaxing conditions too much would then put more pressure on the healthcare system. Satisfied, despite criticism, with the implementation of the vaccine roll-out, the prime minister also spoke of possibly easing some more restrictions. Reopening schools is not dependent on whether teachers have received the Covid vaccine or not, said education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu, but on the epidemiological situation. "The risk cannot be completely eliminated in Romania or elsewhere, but must be kept within manageable limits", explained the minister. He added that Romania may look for inspiration to other countries in Europe where the infection rate has stopped rising. Health minister Vlad Voiculescu is warning caution, however.

The National Council of Pupils, which has been very active recently, issued a statement saying a safe return to school is a race against time. The Council welcomed from the start the idea of a decentralised reopening of schools beginning on 8th February, provided safety measures are respected. Pupils deplore, however, the fact that almost two weeks after the authorities' announcement, schools are yet to receive the instructions or the financial resources needed for a safe return of children to classrooms. "We're one step away from the same chaos we had to deal with last September [...]. We're calling on the ministry of education and the ministry of health to act fast and provide by 30th January the necessary details for the reopening of schools", the National Council of Pupils said in the statement. (CM)