On 25 January 2022, the OECD Council decided to open accession discussions with Romania. On 10 June 2022, the Council adopted the Roadmap for the accession of Romania to the OECD Convention [C/MIN(2022)25/FINAL] (the Roadmap) setting out the terms, conditions and process for accession to the OECD. The Roadmap provides that in order to allow the Council to take an informed decision on the accession of Romania, Romania will undergo in-depth reviews by OECD technical committees listed in the Roadmap, including the Education Policy Committee.
Without a doubt, big ambitions are reshaping Romania’s education landscape. In 2023, the government passed new legislation and unlocked record levels of national and EU funding to improve the quality and reach of education and training. The goal is not only to raise standards in the classroom, but also to equip more Romanians with the skills needed to thrive in a fast-changing economy.
Two years into the reform process, the challenge now is to turn this vision into a lasting reality, ensuring that reforms lead to sustained improvements in learning outcomes while helping to close persistent equity gaps. Despite impressive progress since Romania’s democratic transition, including rising living standards and stronger public institutions, deep regional and socio-economic divides remain. Nearly one in three Romanians is at risk of poverty or social exclusion, rising to almost one in two in rural areas. While dynamic urban centres such as Bucharest continue to grow and offer greater opportunities for learning, employment, and upward mobility, many rural and disadvantaged areas still face significant barriers to accessing quality education and training—limiting the life chances of too many young people.
Addressing these challenges will require ensuring that more children, especially in disadvantaged and Roma communities, can engage in early education and care, that students receive the support they need to stay in school, and that those who have left education early are offered meaningful opportunities to reintegrate education or the labour market. It also means investing in the capacity of government and reviewing funding arrangements to ensure they are aligned with the scale and ambition of national goals.
This report was prepared to support the accession review discussion of the Education Policy Committee with Romania. It draws on OECD research and international experience to explore how Romania can build on its reform efforts to deliver on the twin goals of quality and equity in education and training. It assesses Romania’s education and skills policies across the full learning lifecycle—from early childhood education and care through to tertiary education and adult learning—using five principles that underpin effective education systems:
A strong focus on improving learning outcomes.
Equity in educational opportunity.
The capacity to collect and use data to inform policy.
The effective use of funding to support improvement.
Inclusive, multi-stakeholder engagement in policy design and implementation.
In accordance with Paragraph 28 of the Roadmap and upon request of Romania, the Education Policy Committee agreed to declassify this report and publish it under the authority of the Secretary-General, in order to allow a wider audience to become acquainted with its content. Publication of this document and the analysis and recommendations contained therein do not prejudge in any way the outcome of evaluations conducted as part of Romania’s accession process to the OECD.
The analysis recognises Romania’s achievements to date and offers concrete recommendations to help translate policy ambitions into sustained progress. Above all, we hope this report will support Romania in building an education and skills system that delivers excellence and opportunity for all.
Andreas Schleicher,
Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General,
OECD Director for Education and Skills