Student life in Romania

There are two things that come to mind when you think of Romanian education. On the one hand, really good specialists most of whom are now in America or in Western Europe and on the other hand an education infrastructure which has been completely neglected in the last 16 years. RRI’s Iulian Muresan went to see Bucharest’s largest student campus at the beginning of the school year.

In post communist Romania education has been constantly a Cinderella at the budget allocation ball. It used to receive up to 4% of the GDP and even that money seems to have disappeared in a black hole, because at present the Romanian education system, especially higher education is in a deplorable state. The president of Romania had to turn up at the opening of the new university year on October the 1st and to criticize the ministry of education pulling an alarm signal as to the future of Romanian education.

“Unfortunately, Romania was ignorant enough not to allocate the necessary resources for the education infrastructure.”

At present the Romanian state spends 500 EUR per year for one student, while other European countries spend 10 up 20 times more. It was only this year that education received more from the budget that is almost 5%. Minister of Education Mihail Hardau is optimistic:

“This year the government has pumped into education a sum which is the equivalent of what it has received in the last 10 years. These sums show the clear determination of the government in placing education among Romania’s priorities. At the end of this year we’ll have almost 2 thirds of the 300 student hostels renovated according to international standards.”

Speaking of student campuses and hostels I decided to visit Bucharest’s largest student campus. Student campus scene -

“Unfortunately it is us who have to clean the room and to fix everything in it. They haven’t repaired anything in these rooms for 2 years. The bathroom looks horrible, the carpet you can see for yourself. We also have to whitewash the walls. “

“I haven’t received a room from the University, so I’m looking to buy one. I’m willing to pay 200 Euros, but I’m not very optimistic that I will find a seller.”

The Ministry of Education is optimistic, while students live and learn in improvised spaces, there are still suspicions of corruption among the hostel administrators and the illegal sale of hostel rooms in the campus continues because universities can meet only 30% of the accommodation demand.

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