Romania’s Education Ministry allots EUR 193 mln to bring down school dropout rate

The Education Ministry and the county school inspectorates have signed 42 agreements covering measures targeting a reduction in the country’s school dropout rate.

Based on the agreements signed on August 3, the county inspectorates will seal funding agreements with 1,415 schools that had their projects approved. The total eligible sum for the first round of the National Program to Reduce School Drop-out (PNRAS) stands at RON 965.3 million (EUR193 million), education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu said.

The funding covers expenses on services (maximum 15% of the grant’s total value); expenses with salaries (maximum 15% of the grant’s total value); expenses for events and trips (maximum 15% of the grant’s total value); expenses with training teachers (maximum 5% of the grant’s total value); equipment and software (minimum 20% - maximum 25% of the grant’s total value); expenses for small refurbishment works and furniture (maximum 10% of the grant’s total value); expenses for goods and services, especially providing a hot meal (maximum 35% of the grant’s total value); and expenses on subsidies, aid, awards (maximum 10% of the grant’s total value).

The National Program to Reduce School Drop-out is funded under the country’s Recovery and Resilience Program. It is aimed at public schools in disadvantaged areas with a medium and high risk of school abandonment.

In 2021, 15.3 % of young people in Romania aged 18-24 EU were early leavers from education and training, according to Eurostatdata. In the EU, the average stood at 9.7 %.

Early leavers are those who have completed at most lower secondary education and are not involved in further education or training.

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