Romania's National Literacy Report reveals 42pct of students non-functional, 11pct functional

The literacy rate of Romanian students aged 6 to 14 is low, with 42% of them rated non-functional, 47% barely functional, and just 11% functional, according to the 2023 National Literacy Report released on Friday at the Symposium Hall of the National Library of Romania.

Compared with the first report made in 2021-2022, the results remain "similar, without notable changes."

According to the report, after completing two formal educational cycles, students do not make much progress in terms of literacy: the report captures a decrease in the level of non-functionality by only 4% and an increase in the level of high functionality by only 1.5%, Agerpres informs.

Girls perform better than boys, with the degree of non-functionality among them being 39.98%, while boys register a slightly higher percentage at 43.65%.

Boys register a lower percentage also when it comes to high functionality as against girls, 9.27% to 13.25%.

The report, presented by Gabi Bartic, Brio CEO, was made by the Brio platform of standardised tests for students, together with seven other educational non-profit organisations.

The National Literacy Report is said to be designed to evaluate the Romanian children in terms of functional literacy skills (writing, reading, understanding texts) against a special evaluation methodology in which students of all ages are involved.

"Literacy skills have a crucial role in a person's life, helping them develop their capacities of reflection and expression, critical thinking and empathy, ensuring integration and participation in society in the components of life," according to the report.

In 2022, the National Literacy Report showed that 42% of students from grades one to eight did not understand what they read, cannot argue hypotheses and conclusions, cannot establish similarities and differences between characters, facts or concepts and cannot place reality in a general context.

The collection of data for the report was carried out over 15 months, between January 2021 and April 2022, and was possible through free access to the literacy test on a total database composed of 14,796 valid applications by first to eighth graders.