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The working conditions of teachers were debated on Thursday in the plenary sitting of the European Parliament, the conclusion being that it is necessary to give back to teaching staff the place they deserve in society and to offer them the necessary tools to do their job, according to MEP Corina Cretu.
"During this morning, the debate on the working conditions of teachers took place in the plenary sitting of the European Parliament. Teachers are the architects of our future. They shape the minds and hearts of young people, give them the tools to understand the world and guide them on the path to success and wisdom. During the Covid pandemic, they had to radically change their way of teaching, without prior preparation. I emphasize that the future of Romania and Europe must be written by today's young people, and for their effective participation in the European project, teachers play a decisive role. We must give back to teachers the place they deserve in our societies and give them the necessary tools to do their work. Their roles are underestimated, and the working conditions are constantly deteriorating", Corina Cretu wrote on Facebook.
Despite these obstacles, the European deputy pointed out, teachers remain devoted to their mission and this was also seen "in the exemplary role they played during the pandemic with creativity and courage".
"One of Romania's major problems in the education system is the shortage of personnel with adequate qualifications, especially in rural areas. At the primary and lower secondary level, schools in rural areas represent approximately 70% of the total number of schools and provide education to a percentage of over 40% of students. In the 2021-2022 school year, 2.5% of pre-school teachers were unqualified, their percentage being 1.6% in primary education and 2.1% in lower secondary education. Therefore, teachers frequently teach subjects for which they do not have a qualification, a situation that affects the quality of education", emphasized Corina Cretu.
The MEP considers this shows that more attention must be paid to the schools and teaching staff in rural areas and that European Commission data explicitly mention belonging to rural areas as an educational risk factor, with a direct impact on school dropouts, absenteeism and poor school results.
"However, there are teaching staff in rural areas who manage to demonstrate that it is possible, that inequity can be addressed. I want to show my respect to all teaching staff", concluded Corina Cretu.
