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Replying on Friday the National Student Council, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that "no demand should have as an effect blocking the educational pathway of the students" and called on the teaching staff to suspend their protests and perform the essential end-of-year school activities.
"Dear students, the legislative and government coalition, the government of Romania and all the institutions with responsibilities in the field of salaries and education understand the importance of the educational process, for the support and financing of which we continue to increase the necessary financial resources. As I had the opportunity to tell you during the meeting with the parents' and students' representatives, ever since my taking over as a prime minister, we have engaged in dialogue with education union leaders, with whose help we succeeded in the last year and a half to make important progress both in increasing the teachers' incomes, and in increasing funding for education," the prime minister wrote in an open letter response to the National Student Council.
He said that "the 8 billion RON added to the budgets of the education system and the 3.6 billion euros in NRRP funding for the modernization and reconstruction of school infrastructure are already generating significant changes for the better", adding that he is fully confident that all these investments will translate into a better quality of the educational act.
"The moment chosen by the education union leaders and the initiation of the strike determines us, at the level of the Executive and of the legislative and government coalition, to share your concerns, of the students, but also of the parents, regarding this stalemate. The most affected now are 8th grade students and those who prepare for the Baccalaureate, whose future also depends on a predictable exam calendar for the next period," the prime minister said.
Mentioning that the government wants to strengthen respect and appreciation for the teachers' everyday work, Ciuca said that for this reason, he, as well as his colleagues in the Executive and the ruling coalition, "will make sure that the work of a teacher is appreciated from all points of view, including financially. I know that a child's education is priceless and together we will do everything possible for every teacher in the country to feel that their dedication in the classroom is respected."
According to Ciuca, the government will do everything in its power to make sure that final year students can sit their exams with no delay. "We understand the impact of possible delays and we are doing our best to prevent them from happening," Ciuca added.
"No demand should have as an effect blocking the students' educational pathway and this is the priority each of us must understand and whose settlement can only be reached through dialogue, reason and decision consistency. We are also calling on the teaching staff to suspend their protest actions and carry out the end-of-year essential school activities. I am convinced that they do not want to see their work going purposeless and the students they have mentored for so many years having their educational path blocked. The future of the students is now in the hands of each of us, those who, through dialogue, are bound to immediately overcome this moment and offer the children unrestricted access to education," the prime minister added.
The National Student Council requested on Friday in an open letter to Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca urgent steps to solve the demands of the teaching staff in order to provide support for "a quality educational act" in the long term, and in the short term to allow for the optimum conclusion of the current school year. AGERPRES
