Eurostat: Romania has EU’s second highest number of pupils per teacher in primary school

In 2017, Romania had a primary school pupil-teacher ratio of 19.4, the second highest among EU member states after France (19.6) and ahead of the Czech Republic (19.1), according to recent Eurostat data quoted by Edupedu.ro.

Across the EU, the average number of pupils per teacher at primary level in 2017 was 14.7. The lowest ratios were recorded in Luxembourg (9.0), Greece (9.4) and Lithuania (10.6).

In 2017, Romania had 48,009 teachers and 928,245 pupils in primary education, Edupedu.ro reported.

In 2012, Romania introduced the option of making exceptions from having a minimum number of pupils in one classroom. In schools in large cities or villages it is not unusual to have classrooms of over 35 children.

As far as secondary education is concerned, Romania had a pupil-teacher ratio of 12.1 in 2017, placing ninth in Europe, where the highest pupil-teacher ratio was recorded in the Netherlands (16.1). The lowest ratios were recorded in Malta (6) and Slovenia and Lithuania, at 7 each.

When it comes to high school education, Romania recorded a pupil-teacher ratio of 13.7, above the EU average of 12.2.

According to the local education law, a kindergarten classroom should not have more than 20 children, a primary school classroom not more than 25, a secondary school classroom not more than 30, and a high school one not more than 30. However, exemptions are allowed with the approval of the school inspectorate’s administration board, based on a justification from the educational unit requesting the exemption.

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