Curriculum and Instruction in the Contemporary Romanian Education

A comparative approach to American Education

The education system represents a subsystem of the social system, being subordinated and integrated
in the general structure and structure of the society, having not only an internal structure, but subjecting
itself to external social impulses.The education system, viewed as a whole, refers, fundamentally, to the
institutional organization of education, in this sense the education system comprising all the institutions
that pursue the achievement of educational objectives.

The education system has a national and historical character, in other words, it evolves and develops in
relation to the material development and cultural specificity of each country. by the economic, social and
cultural conditions in the respective country. In conclusion, we will say that the education understood as
an institutional body, cannot be considered as having only an internal structure, as a result of the
interactions between its components but it is subject to social pressures that function independently and in
interaction, following the achievement of educational objectives. . The education system includes an
educational process that engages the entire system of resources with a view to achieving the educational
objectives such as the three essential educational functions, teaching-learning-evaluation.

In America, most children start school before the age of six, when compulsory schooling usually begins
in a kindergarten.

The structure of American education

Besides the educational concept, another common point of the systems  education in the American
states is their structure.The education is of three types: elementary / primary, secondary (which combines
general and high school) and postsecondary / higher.The children begin to go to school starting at the age
of 5 and complete the high school at the age of 18 (K-12 education refers to the whole primary and
secondary school cycle).Depending on the state, the models by which the education is structured are the
following:

Model 6 + 3 + 3: primary school (K-5), general school (6-8), high school (9-12);

Model 8 + 4: primary school (K-8), high school (9-12);

Model 6 + 6: primary school (K-6), combined general and high school (junior & high school, 7-12).

Elementary School / Primary School

Kindergarten is the beginning of the primary education cycle, and children begin to attend it at the age of
5 years. Throughout primary school, students build on their general knowledge by learning to read and
write.Also, students have basic knowledge of mathematics, geography, civic culture, music, science,
health and physical education.Most of the time, foreign languages are introduced starting with the middle
school / junior high school years.

General education (Middle School / Junior High School)

Once in high school, students have a somewhat more flexible curriculum, with both compulsory and
optional subjects. The number of subjects and the combinations of courses vary depending on the district
and the type of diploma desired. In compulsory subjects, such as mathematics, English and science,
students may be placed in a study group appropriate to their academic level.
High school

Although there is no unitary national curriculum, the general content of the high school program has
many points in common, and the necessary conditions that a student must meet for graduating high school
are similar.The compulsory subjects form the weekly schedule of the student together with the optional
subjects chosen. Some of the compulsory subjects are: English, mathematics, foreign languages, physical
education, arts and / or music, general sciences, social studies (a matter that combines history, politics and
geography). In addition, students have the flexibility to choose the level at which to study compulsory and
optional subjects, under the guidance of the school counselor and parents.Although a child can legally
drop out of school at age 16 (known as drop-outs), this is discouraging (employment prospects for anyone
in the US without a high school diploma are higher worse than gloomy!). As a result, the vast majority of
students remain in high school.At an elementary and secondary level, students usually go to a public
school near their home. If you have a preference for a certain public school, you will have to rent or
change your residence in the perimeter of that school.Many cities offer transportation to school with
special buses, although some schools offer transportation depending on the distance from home to school.

The school year in the US usually begins at the end of August / early September and lasts until May
or June (nine months) and is divided into semesters. Some schools use the quarter system, which includes
three sessions: autumn (August / September-December), winter (January-March) and spring (March to
May or June). Others use a semester system consisting of two sessions: autumn (August / September-
December) and spring (January-May).

School vacation data is published by schools well in advance, thus allowing parents enough time to
schedule a family vacation during the school holiday periods. Parents are not normally allowed to pick up
/ drop off their children, except for visits to the doctor or dentist, when the teacher has been informed in
advance as much as possible. If you want to take a child from school during school hours, you must
obtain permission from the school principal.

The syllabus in elementary schools is usually between 08:30 and 15.30, with one hour lunch break. In
high schools it is usually learned between 7:30 am and 2:30 pm. This time is divided into six one-hour or
four 90-minute courses (with a five-minute break between courses) and a 30-minute meal break. The
sports activities are scheduled after the class hours. The classes in public schools are organized from
Monday to Friday, and there are no classes on Saturday or Sunday.

Forms of evaluation

At the end of high school, students will not take any public exams, such as Romanian baccalaureate
exams or A-Level exams in the British system, but they must meet a series of graduation conditions, set
by each state.Students are evaluated during the school year through tests, final exams at the end of the
semesters, homework assignments, group projects, active participation in the class, etc. All forms of
assessment contribute to establishing the final grade of the student in each subject studied separately.

The scoring system

The notes are expressed either by letters (A +, A, B +, B, C + etc.) or by percentages up to 100%. Their
average is expressed by a scoring system called Grade Point Average (GPA), where the maximum score
is 4.

American High School Diploma

In order to obtain the diploma of graduation of the secondary education, the students must take into
account the requirements imposed by the American state in which they study and by the school district. In
most cases, the student must have a minimum number of credits for the subjects studied.
 In most states, school-age children need to be immunized against multiple diseases before school
begins. Vaccinations against diseases such as polio, DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or whooping
cough) and MMR (measles, mumps or rubella) are performed. A tuberculin screening may also be
required. (If children have been vaccinated against tuberculosis, make sure the school knows this, as they
will test positive when screened.)

It is common for elementary students to have their school lunch pack with them, although many
children go home for lunch when they live near the school. Most primary and secondary schools have
several a self-service canteen where children can buy lunch, and some children receive free meals at local
social protection programs.High school students also have lockers where they can keep books and other
goods.Those who come with their own car to school are provided free parking space.

In America there are state schools and private schools. Despite the opinion of elitist education in
private schools, in America the most popular and preferred are state schools, which are funded by the
local budget. The richer the state, the more subsidies are issued for the education system, the more
teachers of the first class activate, the better the technical-material base and the conditions for
accumulating knowledge. The state schools of California, Florida, New York, Illinois and many other
states outperform the best private schools in England and guarantee admission to the best universities in
any country in the world.

According to the law of Education, the Romanian educational system is organized as

follows:Kindergarten,Primary school,Secondary school,High School,School of arts and crafts,Post
secondary school,Higher education.

Kindergarten

This form of education offers the possibility of all children between the ages of 3 and 6-7 years to benefit
from pre-school education with extension up to the preparatory class. The preschool education system
comprises 4 stages:

-small group (in which children from 3 to 4 years will be found)

-medium group (for children 4-5 years)

-large group (for children from 5 to 6 years)

- preparatory class (with the clear purpose of preparing the best transition of the children to the primary
school)

At kindergarten, children serve breakfast and lunch, and in some cases they can rest until noon
(afternoon sleep).

Primary school

Primary school is the form of education that is addressed to children in grades I - IV. The school
program starts in the morning and ends at lunch time. The children who belong here are between 7 and 10
years old. For most subjects, children benefit from a single teacher and appropriate educational products.
Only in certain more specialized subjects will the children be trained by other teachers. At the end of
grades II and IV, children will have to take exams to evaluate the knowledge acquired in Romanian and
mathematics.
Secondary school

This form of education works during the day, from morning to noon. It lasts 4 years, between the 5th
and 8th grade. The children who belong here are between 11 and 14 years old. The organization of
classrooms is readjusted to better meet the needs of children and teachers. Many schools have special
classes, such as classes that have intensive English or computer courses.Students have a different teacher
for each subject. Also, in each class there is appointed a Director, whose role is to monitor more closely
each child and to organize and support the hours of leadership. At the end of the eighth grade, a national
exam, the capacity exam, is held. This exam is compulsory for all students

High School

The high school runs for a period of 4 years, of which 2 years are compulsory (classes IX and X), the next
2 years not compulsory (classes XI and XII). At the end of the 12th grade, the end of high school,
students are required to take the national high school exam, which includes 2 or 3 oral exams, as well as 4
or 5 written exams. In order to pass this exam, students are required to obtain a general average of 6, and
at least 5 in each individual sample

Higher education

This form of education comprises universities and colleges of higher education. State universities and
colleges receive funding from the central government.The teaching methods in universities and colleges
consist of: lectures, seminars, essays for students, research activities. The academic year runs from
October 1 to June and is divided into semesters of approximately 14 weeks each. The evaluation system
in Romania is from 1 to 10, with 10 the highest score and 5 the minimum score to promote

Compared to America, the education system in Romania has both advantages and disadvantages. The
advantages starting from the free compulsory education and the provision of textbooks, up to the system
of scholarships granted, the scoring and examination system, but also the organization of the class hours.
In Romania, a first disadvantage is represented by the teaching methods applied in schools, since most of
the time they are based on many theoretical information presented only by teachers, the emphasis being
more theory than in the case of Romania and less on practice.