As a general observation, the way the educational system is structured, offers students the possibility to continue their educational path or to access the labour market after fi nishing the compulsory education. The students from vocational and technological stream can continue their studies and also obtain a qualifi cation. Generally, in Romania, the educational services are free, but there is also the alternative of attending courses in private education institution.
A. Pre-University education
The pre-university education is structured on 4 levels:
Preschool education: children between 3 and 6/7 years old can be enrolled in kindergartens. Pre-primary education is organized by age groups: 3- to 4-, 4- to 5-, 5- to 6-year-old age groups.
Primary education: grades 1-4; children over 6 years old can be enrolled (exceptions are allowed according to the law).
Secondary education:
• Lower-secondary education: gymnasium (the fi rst phase of the lower secondary level), the lower cycle of the high school and the lower level of the vocational training. The gymnasium covers the grades from 5 to 8. This level ends with a national examination, which enables students to continue studying on two main streams: the lower cycle of high school or arts and crafts school (vocational training). Gymnasium graduates (with or without passing the national examination) qualify for enrolment in vocational training.
The lower secondary education covers the grades from 9 to 10. At the end of this educational level students receive a graduation certifi cate together with the lifelong learning portfolio and their results transcript.
• Upper-Secondary Education involves the upper cycle of high schools (grades 11-12/13) and the upper cycle of the vocational training (the completion year). The graduates from the vocational stream may enter high school only after fi nishing the completion year.
• Post-secondary education: The study period may vary from 1 to 3 years, according to the complexity of the job. Students completing upper secondary education, with or without a fi nal certifi cation, can apply for post-secondary education (except medical post-secondary schools). Post-secondary education ends with an examination and a certifi cate stating the qualifi cation in a certain fi eld.
B. Higher Education
Bachelor degree (undergraduate level): study duration is of 3-4 years; it corresponds to a number of 180-240 ECTS and it ensures a broad qualifi cation and possibility to further study;
Master degree (graduate level): study duration is of 1-2 years and corresponds to a number of 90-120 ECTS and it ensures a high level of specialization;
Doctoral studies (post-graduate level): study duration is of 3 years.
The Romanian educational system includes also the educational facilities for national minorities, for persons with special needs and “second chance”
programmes.
Figure 1: Description of the Educational and Training System in Romania
The key features of effective transition systems
During the educational stages of the educational system, there are some diffi cult “crossroads” for students. The most problematic are: at the end of gymnasium when the students have to choose between the two main streams of the lower secondary education (lower cycle of high school or vocational training), this decision becomes much diffi cult as usually the vocational choice is often perceived as the last option (due to negative social perception); at the end of the compulsory education; at the end of the upper-secondary education.
The last two situations are infl uenced by the uncertainty of the young path: to continue their education or to enter the labour market. Generally (as described in the 3rd report) students fi nishing high school or vocational training go on with their studies but also prefer to work in the same time (this may be explained by the need of obtaining a better training in order to improve future employment chances). The best organised pathway between school and work concerns the vocational stream (Arts and Crafts School - SAM) and the possibility enter the labour market and/or to study further by fi nishing the completion year. For students graduating university, new laws provide advantages to employers when hiring graduates and counselling services are trying to better connect them to the world of work. Recently (2008) European Structural Found takes into account the “transition form school to work” dimension in order to implement different initiatives and create structures at national level. Guidance and counselling are seen very much as “proactive” approaches, but services in educational and employment fi elds are still acting separately and not in connection. The direct collaboration between school and the unemployment agencies is still a diffi cult task.
Basic goals (from OECD) suggested that all transition policies should aim for
To increase participation of young graduates to the labour market the employers are stimulated by the state in different ways. An important role in this puzzle is attributed also to local and regional investors. We can not say in fact that a large proportion of teenagers are also out of school or not employed but there are some factors that depend on the social and cultural background of the family, the values promoted within certain communities and areas that have an infl uence on it. The school abandon rate is high but, most of the youngster continue their educational path (or at least fi nish the high school or vocational training). The problem of these youngsters is that the qualifi cations “on the paper” are not the same with the real ones and are not too much correlated with what is needed on the labour market. Some of them (at university or pre-university level) are still following the “fashion” or “the group”. Counselling and guidance prove their need in reducing such long term effects. Young are not (yet) well trained to be able to distinguish their rights and responsibilities at work, but that is correlated with the economic development at this point in our country.
Also there is a need for counselling and guidance services to be spread much broader and to reach each individual by its needs.