How is the school in Romania?
In Romania, children start school at the age of six and first attend a kind of preparatory class, the Clasa Pregătitoare. Primary school then lasts four years, followed by another four years in secondary school. After 8th grade all students have to take a test, the Evaluarea Națională. Those who pass this can switch to upper school. The upper level lasts three years. If you fail, you have to go to a kind of vocational school for two more years. Schooling is compulsory up to the 10th grade.
There are only four grades in the first four years of school: FB is the abbreviation for Foarte bine and means very good, B is good, S is satisfactory and N / I has failed. From the fifth grade onwards there are grades 1 to 10, with 10 being the best grade. To pass a test you need at least a 5.
The school year starts in mid-September and ends in mid-June next year. The summer holidays so take three months! Before the spring break, there are special activities at the school for a week with trips, competitions or demonstrations.
Many schools in the cities work in shifts. Because there are more students than rooms, some go to school in the morning and some in the afternoon. A school lesson lasts 50 minutes, followed by a 10-minute break. In the winter half of the year, this is reduced in some places to 45 minutes of school lessons and a five-minute break so that the children are home earlier.
Not all children actually go to school. In fact, only 91 out of 100 children go to school. So nine percent don’t go to school. The proportion is even higher among the slightly older children. These are almost always children who live in the country. If you live in a remote village, you may have to walk several kilometers to the school because there is no bus going there. The schools in rural areas are also often in very poor condition. Check hetongdiy to see schooling information in other European countries.
Teachers earn very little, which is why the profession is not very popular. Many teachers do not have a good education themselves.
What are the names of the children in Romania?
Girls in Romania are particularly often named Maria, Elena, Ioana, Andreea, Sofia, Alexandra, Antonia, Daria and Gabriela. Boys are often called Andrei, David, Alexandru, Gabriel, Mihai, Cristian, Stefan, Luca, Ionut and Darius. The most common surname in Romania is Popescu.
How are the children in Romania?
Almost a third of the children in Romania live in poverty. The proportion of poor families is particularly high in rural areas, and also among the Roma. Often there is not enough money to fill up or buy new clothes. Many children in the country grow up without technology. You don’t have smartphones or tablets. Children like 8 year old Alexandru are outside a lot. He enjoys cycling, romping around in the forest, likes to dance and meets up with his friends.
Other children are not doing so well. They have to help their parents in the fields, for example with the harvest. Some parents drink a lot of alcohol or beat their children. Sometimes father or mother or even both parents go abroad to earn money there. Then these children are on their own. Some of these children are then looked after by the grandparents or the neighbors, while others live all alone. After all, the terrible children’s homes from the time of the dictatorship under Ceaușescu no longer exist. Back then, children in homes were badly neglected.
Street children in Romania
Many children live on the streets in Romania. It is not known exactly how high their number is. These children live in the sewers, on construction sites or in subway stations. They are dirty, have no shoes, and wear torn clothes. Many are sick. To survive, they beg or steal. Others wait at traffic lights for waiting cars and clean the windows, hoping to get some money for them.
Typical Romania
Dracula and Transylvania
With the Romanian origin of Count Dracula people like to advertise in Romania. After all, he’s the most famous vampire in the world. The novel about Dracula was written by an Irishman named Bram Stoker in 1897. The model for the vampire is said to have been a Romanian prince: Vlad III. Drăculea. Bran Castle in Transylvania is often shown to tourists as Dracula’s Castle. However, Vlad probably never lived here. The description in the novel is similar to the construction.
Oina
Oina is a typical Romanian sport. It is similar to baseball or batball. It was originally a shepherd game. There are two teams of eleven players each. One team defends, the other attacks, later changes are made. A defender throws the ball, which the attackers must hit with a bat. If the ball is hit successfully, the attackers can score points by running.
Căluşari
Călușari are called the dancers of Căluș. Originally they were members of a secret society. The dancers seem to float in the air when they perform. The dance originally symbolized a galloping horse, but also dancing fairies. Today it’s just a popular dance.
