Important change in schools from autumn: How many teaching hours will directors and inspectors have?

School directors and inspectors in Romania are bracing for significant changes to their teaching hour obligations as the new academic year approaches. A draft order, currently under public consultation, outlines potential adjustments to these duties, sparking discussions about returning to the workload seen in the 2024-2025 academic year.

The past few years have been particularly challenging for school leaders, with a notable increase in their mandatory teaching hours. Before the 2025-2026 academic year, directors of large schools (over 25 study groups) were required to teach 4-6 hours alongside their administrative responsibilities. However, this obligation rose to 10 hours in the autumn of 2025.

Directors of smaller schools saw their teaching load increase from 6-8 hours to 10-14 hours, and in some cases, to a full teaching norm. This meant leaders of schools with fewer than five study groups were effectively performing two full-time roles. Similar substantial increases affected directors of educational resource centers and other specialized institutions, with their teaching hours rising from 6-12 to 14 hours.

These increased teaching loads are partly attributed to Law 141/2025, which also raised the standard teaching hours for teachers from 16-18 to 20 hours. The Ministry of Education and Research's new proposal aims to partially alleviate these burdens, but educators remain concerned about the practical implications for school management and the overall educational system.