The EFA 2000 Assessment: Country Reports
Romania

5.2.2. Literacy Programmes, Courses, and Activities

In the last decade, chiefly after 1995, programmes for adult literacy have expanded, as an effect of decentralisation and of the general trend toward opening and responsible management of social problems.

The absence of specific policies and legislation in terms of adult education and literacy has not prevented the development of such courses and programmes that otherwise observed the general regulations in education and used the existing institutional structures. The absence of national co-ordination was felt in 1999, when the mere existence or multiplication of such programmes did no longer suffice. The programmes are often punctual, satisfying specific needs or the "demand of the day", and live for a length of time equal only to the duration of their financing. More importantly, they are insufficiently supported by the Government, the reason why they fail to ensure real access of illiterate adults to instruction courses. The year of 1999 may be seen as the first year when centrally made decisions reflect a change of attitude: they try to satisfy the demands for programme quality, continuity, and professionalism and for the adults’ real access to such programmes.

Legal Framework

The legal framework based on which basic education and literacy courses for adults can be organised is provided by the Law on Education No. 84/1995, an organic law, modified by Law No. 131/1995, Law No. 151/1999, with specific regulations.

The organic Law on Education, (Title II, Chapter I, Art. 15, Para. 5, f), regulates permanent education as a structural element of the national system of education, alongside the rest of its components.

The legal forms of organisation are those of day, evening, and extra-mural education. In terms of continuous education, the Law - Art. 15, Para 9 - specifies that distance and correspondence education are also acknowledged as form of permanent education.

Article 133 regulates the institutional framework, the institutions and organisations able to co-operate with the Ministry of National Education in organising courses for adults. Special reference is made to the Ministry of Culture, in addition to other interested ministries and institutions (media, institutions of religious denominations, popular universities, cultural foundations, etc.).

The same Article specifies that the objective of permanent education in Romania, for any institution organising permanent and adult education programmes, is to facilitate the access to culture and science of all citizens, irrespective of age, with a view to their adjustment to the major changes in social life. The objectives sound generous, yet it is too general, lacking support and argumentation as to what facilitating of access consists of. No reference is made to the budget funds liable to be involved. It is not clear what role is assumed by the Government or other central institutions in the management and administration of funds for the benefit of illiterate adults. Also, the formulation of the objective seems to spring from the idea of "continuing education" with a view to citizen adjustment to intervening changes and not from the principle of permanent education of from that of the right to education of every citizen.

Article 134 regulates the leading role of the Ministry of National Education in monitoring programmes and courses. This is done by subordinate institutions that, based on a contract, may grant specialised assistance to organisers of adult training programmes. Article 135, para. 1 acknowledges the right of other ministries, autonomous regies, commercial enterprises, of any legal or individual persons to organise, in co-operation with the Ministry of National Education, or independent from it, various forms of adult instruction or professional training.

Article 136, the last article to address adult education, regulates the organisation of institutions or of other forms or structures of open or distance education that employ modern communication means and information technologies. The expenses with such courses and any other expenditure required for their implementation must be borne by the beneficiaries.

Law No. 151/1999 (confirming Emergency Ordinance no. 36/1997 about the completion and modification of the Law on Education) refers to permanent education, inclusively, and appoints a national structure as its co-ordinator, i.e., the National Council for Continuous Training and Education. The Ministry of National Education is responsible for the methodology of training and continuous education programmes. Its role is significant in terms of programme evaluation, financing, and accreditation, programmes designed in co-operation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection included.

Order of the Minister of National Education No. 3316 of 24.02.1998 concerning eradication of illiteracy is the only regulation specifically addressed to literacy at present. It establishes the organisation of some activities and initiation of steps meant to prevent and fight illiteracy. School inspectorates are responsible with the assessment of the situation and causes of illiteracy and with organising literacy classes, courses, and programmes.

Order of the Minister of National Education No. 4766 of 14.10.1998 offers universities the possibility to apply the principle of continuity in education, as per the concept of permanent education, replaced of late by that of lifelong learning.

Initiatives in Legislation

In 1999, the Ministry of National Education launched a programme on adult education and the adequate regulations based on decisions made by Order of the Minister. The regulations are intended to achieve co-ordination in education, given the multitude of involved institutions potentially able to intervene in adult education.

Currently, there is an Order concerning the general framework for adult education programmes. There also exists an Order regulating the organisation of such programmes at university level. Both Orders, pending sanctioning and publication, include as priority measures the organisation of literacy courses for adults.

The proposals for specific regulations on adult courses and programmes (Order concerning Adult Education in Romania) perceive adult literacy and basic education as priorities. The document acknowledges the complexity of illiteracy as a phenomenon surpassing the strict level of education that needs to be included among the social actions directed towards the development of the individuals for better effects of the social, cultura, and economic development of the community they pertain. The need for illiteracy objectives to be adjusted is studied. The objectives should not be limited to the learning of reading, writing, and calculation techniques; they should also encourage the individual to accumulate knowledge, to learn to be competent, and to learn "to exist".

The Order of the Minister of Education on the organisation of university programmes and courses for adults sees the necessity to organise courses for the "risk population" too: illiterates, unemployed, disfavoured individuals in economic, social, and cultural terms, persons with special needs, etc.

Mention must be made of initiatives taken by the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Youths and Sports, and the Association of Romanian Popular Universities aiming the adoption of specific regulations in adult education and continuous training, although they make no special reference to adult literacy or basic education.

Participating Institutions and Structures

Institute for Sciences of Education, a national institution for research, development, and training initiated evaluation projects, adult literacy courses and programmes or trainer’s training courses for those involved in adult literacy activities.

Houses of the Teaching Staff, documentation centres, and centres for teacher training accessible to the entire teaching staff. The Houses of the teaching staff operate all over the country and in Bucharest, being subordinate to the school inspectorate; their structure and responsibilities are established by regulations issued by the Ministry of National Education. The Houses have organised adult training or teaching courses, function of local demand and their own system of organisation.

Centres for Psycho-pedagogic Assistance also operate in all 41 territorial-administrative units as autonomous institutions subordinate to the School inspectorate. Their methodological activity is co-ordinated by the Ministry of National and the Institute for Sciences of Education. They play a special role in the relations between children and parents.

Popular universities offer various adult education courses and programmes. As cultural institutions, they offer courses and programmes in "popular education", operating as autonomous institutions ("Popular University" or "Open University"), or in the framework of culture houses.

Cultural Homes are organised at the level of territorial administrative units in rural areas.

Among other central institutions (ministries, subordinate institutions) implementing and co-ordinating programmes involved in adult literacy, mention must be made of:

The Ministry of Justice organises literacy and basic education courses for convicts. Also, since 1970, it has been providing convict-counselling services.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs organises training courses for commissioned and non-commissioned officers involved in educational programmes addressing the military personnel.

The Ministry of National Defence organises literacy courses for illiterate private soldiers, civic education courses for the military.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports organises non-formal education programmes, especially for young adults. The topics are youth participation in rural communities, economic and tourist development of rural areas, ecology, and spare time entertainment.

The Ministry of Health, in co-operation with concerned associations and foundations, organises programmes for adult sanitary education, and trainers’ training programmes.

From among non-governmental organisations offering adult courses, literacy courses included, the most active are:

Associations representing Gypsy minority, among which the Rromani CRISS Association is most active. In co-operation with local communities, international foundations and NGOs, domestic governmental organisations, the Association is active in the support granted to this minority.

The National Association of Popular Universities ensures the education and training of the teaching staff involved in adult education, prepares and disseminates new educational methods, techniques, and means, specific of adult education, co-operate with similar organisations in Europe or adult education institutions abroad.

The SOROS Foundation "For an Open Society" develops programmes addressed to both educational institutions and individuals willing to participate in educational programmes, adult basic education and literacy programmes included.

The University of the Black Sea organises summer coursed on various topics in the field of adult education.

The Romanian Association for Human Rights organises training courses on human rights.

The PHOENIX Centre for Communication with and Counselling of Youth in Cluj-Napoca offers training and counselling programmes designed for youth employment in a professional activity, etc.

General Objectives of Functional Literacy Programmes and Courses

Functional literacy programmes and courses have been conceived as an offer for a multifunctional education meant to include both the informational aspects and the professional and social dimensions.

Actually, the following objectives are pursued:

The diversification of the basic education and the opportunity for a second chance for people that never attended the basic educational route, or has abandoned the compulsory schools. This concerns especially risk population (the illiterate, long-term unemployed, the poor having abandoned compulsory school, gypsies, etc);

The diversification of training routes, so that to be assured the complementarily between the initial training formation and the life long learning, as well al between the formal and non-formal education;

The diversification of methods and forms of the programs development and implementation ( from discourses to the workshops and training seminars, through the distance education system );

The modernisation of the existent training forms and the improvement of their quality, in order to accomplish the European standards in the field;

The encouragement of the national partnerships and the real involvement in the accomplishment of programs of the other partners;

Target Groups

People that attended the compulsory education or are older than the age group graduating the compulsory education (16 years old), generally, form the target groups for the basic education and functional literacy of adults:

Persons that never attended a school, or abandoned the compulsory education; people that graduated these courses but do not manage to perform the basic operations like reading or writing and simple calculations;

Unemployed with a low literacy level;

People in need;

People with specific health problems, having various handicaps or people that are not integrated in the family, professional or social environment, etc.

Programs and Projects

Until 1990, the only existing literacy forms were the courses organised in prisons, for the imprisoned. These ‘schools’, functioning since 1970 were co-ordinated by the Ministry of Justice, and were supposed to assure the minimum skills regarding reading, writing and simple calculations. These programs remained unknown for the large public.

The literacy programs for adults were initiated in Romania after 1990, after the Education Sciences Institute mentioned the existence of the illiteracy phenomenon in Romania, affecting the endangered population. Consequently, the programs and projects of the above institute are mentioned as it follows:

Functional Literacy Programs and Projects Organised by the Education Sciences Institute

Programs for the Training of Trainers in the field of the functional literacy, focused on functional literacy strategies. These programs have been destined to the training of teachers and instructors interested to activate in the formation of illiterate adults and, on the other side to help teachers from the fields of Mathematics and Romanian language to use the specific methods of literacy programs. The purpose of these programs was the increasing of learning efficiency at the compulsory education graduates and the prevention of functional illiteracy. These programs developed in the form of training sessions within the ‘Teaching Personal House’ in Botosani.

Projects and programs of non-formal education in the rural areas focused on women, old people, young people returned in the rural areas, and minorities (Gypsy population) viewed from the ‘conscious-literacy’ perspective. These programs have been included in the international projects of IUE Hamburg- ALPHA 94 ‘Literacy Strategies and Cultural Development in the Rural Areas’ and Alpha 96 ‘Literacy and Work’;

Programs concerning the design of the institutional framework and the methodology of the development of the literacy courses in Romania; these programs represented a part from the international project IUE-Hamburg-Alpha 97 ‘Basic Education and Institutional Environment’

Literacy programs and courses organised by other institutions

Literacy courses organised beginning with 1994, at the initiative of the National Ministry of Education (Elementary Education Department); are an example of optional courses organised during the school vacations for people that did not graduate or never attended the compulsory school. These courses have been organised according to the Education Law requirements that established the organisation of some compulsory or optional evening classes for the people that overpasses with more than two years the legal age for the corresponding educational level (art.14). This kind of courses are organised by schools designated for each sector of Bucharest or in schools designated by the Ministry of National Education in each county, for the rest of the country.

Literacy courses organised beginning with 1996, at the initiative of the Ministry of National Defense. These courses are taking place within the military units, supported by the church or other institutions, for the illiterate soldiers wanting to attend literacy courses.

Literacy programmes for Gypsy population, organised between 1990-1998, in terms of ‘special classes’ or ‘literacy classes’ have been created at the primary and secondary level, at the initiative of some organizations and foundations involved in Gypsy issues, which is one of the most endangered population. These classes have been funded by the initiator organizations, and sometimes, have been supported by the local educational administration, that offered the necessary space for the development of teachers training.

Among these programs we can mention:

The ‘Children Education in the Gypsy Communities: continuous training of the teachers working with Gypsy children’, realized according to a project funded by the European Council within the ‘Measures of Trust Program’. This program was co-ordinated by the Intercultural Institute from Timisoara, having as partners the Romany CRISS Association and the Education Science Institute. Between 1996-1998, many activities were included:

The training of trainers, teachers and instructors program, for the personnel working with Gypsy children (in Slatina, Caracal, Timisoara). This program focused on the facilitation of the dialogue between the local community and the personnel involved in the Gypsy’s education. The purpose of the program was to train the personnel involved in strategies and specific methods of literacy;

The project from Cotlau envisaged a heterogeneous population formed by Hungarians and Gypsy within the local community. This project was integrated within a larger project envisaging economic and sanitary objectives for the young people that overpasses the legal age for school enrolment. The educational activities included courses with tuition in Romanian and Romany language; professional training for unemployed, religious education and artistic activities; involvement of young people in summer courses;

The project from Caracal envisaged the Gypsy population from Carpati County (almost 8000 people). In this area was organised a school that was authorized by the Ministry of National Education. Presently in this school is functioning a kindergarten and a literacy unit for the young Gypsy illiterate. For Gypsy people willing to learn their native language, were organised classes with tuition in Gypsy language.

The Slobozia Project was developed with the support of ‘Bridge Over Soles’ Foundation and was sustain by local financial support and additional support from AIDROM (Association des Eglises Oecuméniques de Roumanie) Foundation. This project envisaged particularly women that left school because of the traditional early marriage. The illiterate rate among the Gypsy population is a significant one. For this reason have been initiated a set of contacts and extra-school activities with Gypsy illiterates families, envisaging the amelioration of relations between the local authorities and the Gypsy community;

Mangalia Project was designed for a population facing extremely difficult economic and social conditions. This population includes approximately 500 occasional agricultural workers that periodically settle in some disaffected military dormitories in four counties of the suburban area of Mangalia City. The majority of the members of this population do not have Identity Cards. The project targeted especially women and was accompanied by an economical and sanitary program. The representatives of Gypsy associations and Gypsy trainers recruited at the local level have organised literacy courses in collaboration with the representatives of the local school authorities.

Beside these projects subordinated to the project funded by the European Council that also was supported by other organizations, other initiatives and local projects, envisaging the literacy of Gypsy population, can be mentioned:

The Project initiated by the Romany CRISS in a quarter of Bucharest, where exists a Gypsy community returned in Romania after many years spent in Germany. This project targeted two populations – those people that never attended school and those that interrupted the school in Romania from a very long time. The German Association ‘Linden’ funded this project.

The Project developed in Miercurea Ciuc by a local Gypsy association that targeted a multilingual population (2000 persons)- speaking Romanian, Hungarian and Romany language. This project envisaged the education and literacy of the less educated members of the community and the solution of the local economical and social problems. This attempt supposed the involvement of the local leaders and community representatives. The funds were obtained by self-funding (concerts and representations, donations, etc.)

The project realized in a Gypsy community from one of the Cluj Napoca periphery, was supported by the Educational Inspectorate and the Belgian «Médecins Sans Frontières» Association. The members of this community settled in this region few years ago, but they do not have Identity Cards and live in very precarious conditions. Literacy classes have been organised and the association offered support and sanitary education to the community.

The Project ‘Cultural Interference- to communicate by art’ was funded by the SOROS Foundation, «Roi Bauduin» Foundation, being co-ordinated by the Intercultural Institute from Timisoara. This project envisaged the young Gypsy people willing to be trained in the field of painting. Painting exhibitions of the young artists marked the finalisation of the project. Many creation camps were organised in Porumbacu de Jos village, Sibiu. These camps attracted Romanian and Gypsy artists that also participated in Mangalia project (with Romanian, Turks and Gypsy participants). Multidisciplinary teams formed by specialists animated these activities.

One can appreciate that, in the last decade many progresses have been achieved in Romania in the field of reducing the adults’ illiteracy. The recognition of illiteracy as a complex phenomenon was determined by multiple causes associated with the economical difficulties and social and cultural constraints that conducted to the initiation of specific forms of training and more comprehensive programs focused not only on the achievement of the basic competencies, but also on the solution of the problems related to the economic and local community problems.

Also, we are to mention the active intervention of the associations and non-profit organisation, generally. This is meaning on the one hand the recognition of the important part that these organizations are expected to play in the fight with illiteracy and the acceptance of the ‘illiteracy decentralisation’ idea on the other hand.

This is the beginning of the opening of the school as an institution no more pretending to play the main role or having the monopoly, but accepting the division of responsibilities and recognizing the necessity of the partnership with the other institutions in order to offer the second chance by the ways of complementary education forms

The interest for the problem of illiteracy and the multiplication of the literacy programs dedicated to the offering of this second chance is also correlated with the recognition of the decreasing in the interest for lecture because of the high price of the books, on the one hand and to the extension of the subcultures promoted by the televisions, on the other hand. Also, we have noticed that it is hard to deny the tendency to the revalorization of continuing studies manifested through the educational failure or schools abandon. This is the context of origin for the necessity of promoting integrated policies that should start from the general context and respond to the specific problems of the adult’s illiteracy. The new legislative initiatives may be considered as an important achievement for the accomplishment of this objective, alongside with the very important project of effort co-ordination and partnership encouragement. Also we consider that the present interest for the quality of the programs, the special attention allocated to the recognition and certification of these studies are very important for the proffesionalisation of the actors involved in the development of these programs. These tendencies were manifested at beginning of 1999 and will represent priority objectives for the next years.