An open letter signed by 100 intellectuals asks the Minister of Education, Sorin Cîmpeanu, for radical amendments to the draft Education Laws and to extend the period of public debate.

An open letter signed by 100 intellectuals, including Gabriel Liiceanu, Mircea Miclea, Lazăr Vlăsceanu, Andrei Cornea, Nicolae Manolescu, Radu Vancu, was publicly addressed to the Minister of Education, Sorin Cîmpeanu, calling for radical changes to the draft education laws and an extension of the public debate period. Sorin Cîmpeanu launched the public debate on the Education Laws, which are of vital importance for the development of society, at the height of the holiday period: on 13 July 2022, with the final date today, 24 August 2022.

„Dear Minister, understanding the seriousness and importance of such an initiative, education being a priority of the presidential administration, we ask you to ensure its quality, including by reviewing it, as well as by extending the period of debate and restructuring, until the involvement and consultation of entities in the area of expertise, able to express their views on the proposed projects, both for higher and pre-university education, are exhausted. We also consider it necessary to involve and consult Romania’s intellectuals genuinely, teachers, and parents, i.e. those directly concerned, in the formulation of proposals for education laws, intended to reform the education system on the scale intended, which are capable of enriching the heritage of Romanian education”, the 100 personalities of the Romanian academic environment point out in the letter.

Among the gripes of the signatories of the proposed law is Standardised testing in digital format, which they consider a vulnerability factor. They argue that such an approach has the potential to drive students to memorization and will discourage discovery and exercise of reasoning functions.

The teachers and researchers thus submitted to the Minister of Education an entire list of proposals for changes to the drafts, a series of questions, and an official and public request for „genuine consultation with Romania’s intellectuals, teaching staff and parents”.