The Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), the National Union of Bars in Romania (UNBR) and the Ministry of Education and Research will collaborate to promote electoral and legal education amongst pupils, a protocol to this effect being signed on Wednesday by representatives of the three institutions, on the occasion of marking 22 years of AEP activity.
The object of the protocol is the cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Research, AEP and UNBR and in order to promote electoral and legal education, the rule of law and democratic values, through information activities aimed at pupils and teachers.
According to the protocol, the activities will take place in the form of modules, workshops, conferences, debates and educational campaigns. The aim of the collaboration is to raise awareness of the importance of electoral processes, respect for the law and civic engagement.
"In an era where information circulates faster than ever, disinformation has become one of the greatest challenges for society. It is not limited to fake news or conspiracy theories, but reacts subtly, distorting facts, amplifying fear, dividing communities and weakening trust in public institutions. In this context, democratic education is vital, and it starts in school, with the formation of discernment and critical thinking. Only by simulating these judgmental skills and through honest, open and transparent communication, can we hope to manage to diminish and perhaps even combat the harmful effects of the disinformation phenomenon", the president of the AEP, Zsombor Vajda said.
He added that the authorities signing the protocol aim to train and encourage young people to become "active and involved citizens", to make them aware of the importance of their role in public life and to provide them with electoral education resources.
The AEP president said that the formation of an authentic democratic culture must become a national priority, and institutions, the press and citizens must be partners in the common effort to rebuild trust and discernment.
"The paradigms in which we have developed up to this point in the area of education and research are already old paradigms for a modern country and for a modern education. They are paradigms from the 1990s, some with roots even in the communist period and it is clear that, since I am still a minister, especially in the second part of my mandate, the mission is to change the paradigms, which is not an easy thing", Minister of Education, Daniel David said.
He believes that pupils must acquire skills related to democracy, elections and legal education.
"Through this protocol, we will take them even more seriously than they have been taken up to now. (...) At each level of primary, secondary and high school, we have a mandatory subject called counseling and guidance, and there we can find a certain number of learning units that will be (...) dedicated to these problems", added Daniel David.
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