Public Awareness

Impoverished parents, having little formal education themselves, are often intimidated by the thought of dealing with school authorities and covering all the expenses they associate with school – clothes, shoes, notebooks, class and building fees – and all too often, presents for the teacher. Consequently, Romania’s poorest children typically enter the education system much later than other children.

The result: they almost always drop out before the mandatory ten years.

Until now, there has been no coordinated national effort to integrate these children into mainstream classrooms – and to provide the social support necessary for them to succeed there.  Ovidiu Rom is committed to making the public aware and urging the implementation and enforcement of Romania’s education laws advocating for a comprehensive national strategy of the underlying issues. In 2009 Ovidiu Rom launched the multi-annual public awareness campaign “Scoala te face mare”, focusing on the importance of education for all children and reminding people that “every child in school is everyone’s responsibility.”

In October 2010, this public awareness campaign received a “European Commission Award for Excellence in Addressing Discrimination”.

“Scoala te Face Mare”

The “Scoala te face mare” (“School makes you big’”) national campaign serves to make citizens aware of their rights and responsibilities regarding education.

The 2009 public service announcements featured well-respected public figures Andreea Marin Bănică, Dan Bittman, Dana Deac, Damian Drăghici, Cabral Ibacka, as well as program client Narcisa Cumpănă. The spots ran several thousand times on 25 TV channels. A report about  the 2009 campaign can be downloaded here (pdf): PSA Report

2009 TV spots go to >

In May 2010, the second phase of  “Scoala te face mare” was launched, emphasizing the importance of early education for all children, and encouraging poor parents to send their children to kindergarten so they get a good start in school.

Award-winning filmmaker Cristian Mungiu directed the four TV spots: In one TV spot, Horia Brenciu is shown on his bicycle giving a boy a ride to school. In another Andreea Esca picks up a little girl from her home and takes her to kindergarten. Margareta Paslaru teaches a group of children on the street the song she made famous, “Veronica”. Ethan Hawke’s TV spot for the campaign was filmed on a playground in a disadvantaged district of Paris where he was filming at the time.

2010 TV spots go to >

This campaign has been made possible by pro bono support from Saatchi & Saatchi, Zenith Media, Foarfeca and Chainsaw.  Castel Film and Kodak provided the equipment and film for the production. The Euroanswer call center donated a phone line for people to request information and report problems they face in sending their children to kindergarten and school.

Campaign poster go to >

2010 campaign’s Press Release go to >

Interview with Leslie Hawke go to >

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