At a meeting on Monday at the Government House with a delegation of the National Confederation of Female Entrepreneurship (CONAF) led by Cristina Chiriac, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that reducing the school dropout rate is a strategic objective pledged by the government for the achievement of which an integrated approach is needed, according to Agerpres.

„For concrete results in reducing school dropout rates and its social consequences an integrated approach is needed, from several perspectives. The solution highlighted in my conversation with CONAF leaders regarding the creation of a committee to prevent and combat school dropout rates will contribute to the consistency of measures that the children need. We need the coordination of governmental efforts with those of social partners, the private sector, Romanian entrepreneurs and local administrations,” Ciuca is quoted as saying in a government press release.

According to the government, the National Programme for the Reduction of School Dropout Rates (PNRAS), a concrete programme of the Educated Romania strategy, is funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) in support of children in dire straits.

Under this programme, a grant scheme has already been initiated that tackles public secondary schools with high and medium high dropout and early school leaving rates. Each grant has a maximum value of EUR 200,000 and will be implemented over three years.

The government is also implementing a national porgramme called „Care for the Children,” for which it has earmarked over EUR 6 million worth of public funds, for the psycho-emotional support of children and their safety, and the RO-Alert system for missing children, which has saved thousands of children from difficult situations ever since its inception.

The government is said to continue to implement transportation for schoolchildren, the Hot Meals in Schools and the Children’s Observatory programmes, along with support provided for the return of students to school and campaigns to reduce violence in schools.

Representing the government at the meeting besides Ciuca was Minister of Education Ligia Deca, Minister of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities Gabriela Firea, Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity Marius Budai, other relevant ministerial officials and public bodies.

Agerpres