Of the 3.5 million schoolchildren registered with the Romanian Ministry of Education this school year, up from 3 million in 2012, almost 100,000 study in private schools, most of which are in Bucharest. From small class sizes to specialist extracurricular activities, BR takes a look at what advantages are on offer to the pupils of these exclusive establishments – and the cost of attending.

Oana Vasiliu

Last week, the school bell rang for Romania’s children, whether they attend kindergarten, primary, elementary or high school. Of these, a minority of fortunate youngsters will be heading back to the halls of privilege of Bucharest’s elite international schools.

No more than 15 pupils in a class, teachers focused on a child’s needs, extracurricular activities, foreign language classes and lavish facilities are among the benefits of a private education. But the costs can be prohibitive for many local parents: school fees range from EUR 3,000 to EUR 19,000, depending on the student’s age, extracurricular classes, the time spent in school and the school’s reputation.

It’s the curriculum that counts

The country’s most expensive private school is the American International School of Bucharest (AISB), which has been active in Romania for more than 50 years. The AISB offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 6-10, and the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) from kindergarten to grade 5. “The AISB is accredited by the New England Association of International Schools and the Council of International Schools, and is authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Program at all levels of study. While the Ministry of Education in Romania has recognized the AISB as an institution providing a foreign curriculum in Romania, this Romanian authority is not the accrediting organization of the AISB,” says Catalina Gardescu, admission officer. Specialists in art, drama, cinematography, physical education, music (band/choir), computers, Spanish and French are on the teaching staff.

Ioanid Kindergarten and School follows the National Curriculum during its morning schedule. “We have created an English curriculum adapted from an international program. What makes the difference is the way we approach the curriculum. Our students learn without being aware that there are educational objectives behind the activities,” Anca Biris, administrative director of the school, told BR.

The newly rebranded Avenor College, previously known as Little London, offers both a Romanian and British curriculum. “Our belief is that every child born in Romania should know his or her roots and feel an affinity. The British curriculum is used to help children gain trust in their own work, practice public speaking, discover their talents and follow their dreams,” Diana Segarceanu, administrative director of Avenor College, told BR.

Staff selection

While many people assume that teachers at private schools are certified the same way as those at public ones, it’s important to note that all teachers in public schools are usually certified or, at a minimum, working toward certification from the Ministry of Education. Certification ensures that a teacher has gone through the training required by the state, which includes student teaching and coursework. Teachers in private schools may not be required to have certification. Instead, they often have subject-area expertise and an undergraduate or graduate degree in the subject they teach.

For example, the AISB says that new teachers are hired at international job fairs organized in Europe, the US and Asia. The heads of the separate school sections attend these fairs and recruit the best teachers to deliver the school programs and IB curriculum. There are also several Romanian teachers currently on staff, hired on the same principles. At Avenor College, teachers are appointed after interviews and demo-lessons, with a seven-point salary scale. Ioanid hires teachers who have previous experience in both the public and private system and are in touch with modern educational methods.

Doing the math

The main investment that the AISB has made so far has been its campus on Bd. Pipera. An initial investment of USD 20 million went into the school, with the campus opening in August 2001. For the past 12 years the AISB administration has been striving to maintain and develop the campus and programs to best fit the needs of the growing student body.

Segarceanu told BR that EUR 500,000 was invested in the school over 2007-2010. The new campus, which opened this year, required EUR 1 million of investment, but the requirements for completing the entire campus, which will happen by 2015, reach EUR 3 million.

When it comes to operational costs, the AISB says that it continues to enjoy a very sound financial position, despite some economic challenges in Romania. Over the past few years the school has seen an increase in student enrollment which has allowed its administration to plan for and achieve all of the facilities and educational enhancements needed to support its international community of students and parents. At Ioanid Kindergarten and School, operational costs stand at EUR 800,000 per year, while Avenor College says that 55 percent of the annual budget goes on salaries, in line with the practice at most Western schools.

oana.vasiliu@business-review.ro

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