| Education is accorded a high degree of importance | | | | it is a comprehensive curriculum, making the |
| in the social fabric of Romania. Respect for the | | | | young Romanian aware of a lot of things about |
| educated and the intellectual has been a tradition | | | | the world. Students are evaluated with grades like |
| down the ages. Even the tiniest village in every | | | | "not satisfactory", "satisfactory", "good", "very |
| remote corner of Romania kept important | | | | good", etc. |
| positions like the priest, the teacher and the | | | | From the primary school, students move on to |
| mayor reserved for the educated. This tradition | | | | the lower secondary school. This too continues |
| of holding the educated ones in high esteem | | | | for four years. New subjects such as Physics, |
| continues to the present day as well. And the | | | | Chemistry and a second foreign language like |
| current education system is quite competitive for | | | | French, German or Spanish are introduced into the |
| students and demanding for teachers. | | | | curriculum at this stage. In the 7th grade the |
| Nursery school in Romania starts at the age of | | | | students have to take two national level tests in |
| three. It can continue up to the age of six or | | | | Mathematics and Romanian at the end of each |
| seven, depending on the aptitude of the student. | | | | term. Incidentally, the academic year consists of |
| School time is usually from 8 a.m. till 12 noon. The | | | | two terms, one on either side of Christmas |
| children are taught to draw and to colour, are told | | | | holidays. There are holidays for Easter and the |
| a lot of stories and the teachers make sure that | | | | summer vacation is a longish affair from June |
| the little students comprehend what they are | | | | 15th till September 15th. |
| being taught. | | | | At the end of the 8th grade, the last and the |
| Apart from all these things, the children are | | | | most vital in lower secondary school, the students |
| taught how to sing and dance, and how to be | | | | have to pass a final examination in Romanian, |
| useful with their hands. They learn crafts like | | | | Mathematics and History or Geography. Their |
| making paper boats and snowflakes and other | | | | results in this test are graded in a scale of 1 to 10. |
| things related to their immediate environment. | | | | Depending on how they fare in this test, they can |
| Depending upon the profile of the school, they are | | | | go on to high school. |
| also taught a foreign language like English, French | | | | At this stage the students have to fill in a form |
| or German apart from their mother tongue. | | | | listing high schools and make a few choices in |
| Once the students finish nursery education, they | | | | order of their preference. Whether they can get |
| are tested by the primary schools they are going | | | | admitted to the high school of their choice |
| to go to. Primary education begins at the age of | | | | depends, however, on the grades they score in |
| six or seven and continues till the students are | | | | the test. |
| ten or eleven years old. In primary schools too, | | | | Students, who have not fared well in the exam, |
| school hours range from 8 in the morning till 12 | | | | can get admitted to schools offering vocational |
| noon. Children are not required to lunch at school, | | | | training, where they are taught different skills. On |
| but are allowed to bring some light snacks like a | | | | finishing these schools, such students, who are not |
| sandwich from home. They are also fed a roll and | | | | academically oriented, can acquire a qualification. |
| a small carton of milk at school. | | | | After four years in high school, on the other hand, |
| The curriculum in primary school consists of the | | | | students have to take the baccalaureate |
| Romanian language, Mathematics, Biology, History, | | | | examination and then they are able to enter a |
| Geography, Religion, Art and Craft, Physical | | | | university for further studies. School education till |
| Education, and a foreign language like English. In all | | | | the age of 16 is compulsory in Romania. |