The Romanian National Students’ Union (UNSR) is asking the government to restore facilities for students and pupils – from scholarships and free transportation, to other essential benefits, as well as to implement coherent, long-term policies that treat Education as a strategic field and not as another budgetary chapter.

„UNSR firmly announces that, if the voice of students continues to be ignored, and Education remains last on the list of priorities, a large-scale protest will follow. Education is the key to a better future for Romania, and decision-making factors must understand that we can no longer accept compromises and empty promises. Now is the time for concrete actions,” reads a press release of the UNSR sent to AGERPRES on Sunday evening.

The reaction of the Students’ Union comes in the context in which, on Sunday, the Ministry of Finance transparently published the draft ordinance regarding some fiscal-budgetary measures for the year 2025.

„Education is the foundation of any prosperous and democratic society. However, the reality in Romania shows that the educational system continues to be marginalized by policies that undermine the future of current and future generations. The old National Education Law no. 1/2011 provided for the allocation of 6% of GDP for education, but this legal obligation has never been respected. Instead of getting closer to this goal, the rulers are preparing to reduce the remaining funding gap for the following years. In fact, it is estimated that the budget allocated to Education in 2025 will be even smaller than in the last two or three years – a situation that has not been repeated since 2009. (…) This tendency to „save” on education is proof of lack of vision and responsibility towards the economic, social and cultural development of Romania,” claim the representatives of the UNSR.

The draft „little train” government rdinance provides that, in 2025, the value of the standard cost for the scholarship and social protection fund in RON per student is maintained at the level corresponding to November 2024.

AGERPRES