Ex-Minister Slams High School Admissions Process as 'Simply Unacceptable'

Former Education Minister Mircea Dumitru has strongly criticized the practice of separate high school admission exams, deeming it "simply unacceptable" for young students. He argues that requiring 14- and 15-year-olds to undergo two consecutive major examinations, the National Evaluation and a separate admission test, places an undue burden on them.

Dumitru advocates for a unified national evaluation system that is standardized and sufficiently rigorous. He highlighted the issue of inconsistent grading, citing instances where initial scores in the National Evaluation were drastically altered after appeals. This variability, he explained, undermines the reliability of the system and significantly impacts the future of young students.

"If our evaluations are so fluctuating that grades vary considerably between corrections, and these results decisively influence the future of children just 15 years old, then it is evident that we do not yet have a sufficiently solid and reliable evaluation system," Dumitru stated. He believes efforts should focus on creating such a robust system, rather than accommodating individual high schools' desires to conduct their own admission tests.

Furthermore, Dumitru expressed concern over the lack of genuine public debate regarding the admission process changes adopted in 2023. He views this deficiency as a sign of weakness in public dialogue concerning crucial educational policies. He also suggested that a more balanced evaluation, potentially including humanities subjects beyond just math and Romanian language, might be necessary for a comprehensive assessment of students.