Local education system slammed after record low baccalaureate marks

Romanian high school graduates have scored the poorest baccalaureate results in 20 years, if not in the history of the local educational system, with several high schools in the country not seeing a single candidate pass the exam. In total, a mere one in two high school graduates passed the baccalaureate this year and the average score was just 44.5 percent, prompting heated debate about the state of the Romanian school system. High numbers of students appealed against their results, with a staggering 91,000 plus cases, double the number in 2010. The poor results are believed to be closely correlated with efforts made this year to prevent cheating, which included CCTV cameras in classrooms.

Central Bank governor Mugur Isarescu blames society for poor economy

The governor of the Central Bank, Mugur Isarescu, who is also a professor at the Academy of the Study of Economics, has said that the country’s current financial woes are not attributable solely to the local political system, but also to the transition society, for not providing the right kind of role models. “Let’s not think that baccalaureate success depends solely on the political class, because we would be making a basic error. It depends on many things, on the values that Romanian society has promoted,” commented Isarescu, criticizing the “mythomaniac” role models held up by society.

Isarescu’s statement came during a conference held by PwC at the release of Success Formulas for the Next Decade: Companies that have Overcome the Crisis, a book written by PwC specialists. Company representatives said at the event that the private sector should also get involved in the Romanian education system to help the development of local specialists. Isarescu agreed, adding that the true theme of the discussion should be “how to make proper money”, when all today’s youth seem to know is “how to cheat by using a mobile phone.” He was speaking in response to the news that an estimated 661 students had been thrown out of exam halls for trying to cheat this exam season.

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Recruitment specialists value skills over theory

Mihaela Stoian, communication HR specialist at Manpower, weighed in on the discussion, emphasizing the lack of help from career advisors given to young people. “High school students do not have a very clear career path set for themselves; they need guidance from specialists on this issue. In general, most students do not have clear objectives, as they have not been taught to think long term. It is hugely important for students to look beyond the baccalaureate diploma, towards the practical application of their accumulated knowledge.”

Moreover, nowadays, the development of personal skills is vital, concludes Stoian. “As well as getting qualifications, students must invest in the development of their own skills, to increase their chances of getting a job. It is important for everyone to perform, as objectively as possible, a self-evaluation of their own skills and qualifications to ease their future path.”

Corina Dumitrescu