Map of areas where kindergartens have already become part of the program (Mar 2021).
GIVEN THAT:
- Romania’s early school abandonment rate is 26.6% in rural areas, 18.1% overall (compared to the European average of 10.6%) and our country’s PISA scores were the second lowest in the EU in 2018.
- To compete in the 21st century world economy, Romania must increase the average educational attainment level of its children.
- Literacy is the most accurate indicator of educational attainment.
- Early education has been shown to be the most efficient investment of resources to achieve literacy.
- Children living in poor communities do not have access to age-appropriate books, and are thus severely disadvantaged by the time they enter primary school.
- Of the 4500 public grădinițe in Romania, approximately 40% are in disadvantaged communities.
- Providing materials without training teachers in how to maximize their use wastes resources.
- Training teachers without providing them with quality materials severely limits their capacity to teach.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has added another obstacle for disadvantaged children living where online access is severely limited, increasing the likelihood of their falling further behind.
AND BECAUSE:
- OvidiuRo has already developed a strong network of teachers and administrators in all rural and disadvantaged areas, disseminating effective materials and methods appropriate for early education.
OVIDIURO PROPOSES TO:
Turn Romania’s 4500 public kindergartens into seedbeds of literacy by executing a 5-year plan to:
- Train teachers in read-aloud techniques and other ways of developing literacy
- Equip each kindergarten with a minimum of 30 books
- Give each child in disadvantaged communities at least one book to take home
- Create and consolidate sustainability for these activities, in connection to strategic national and European plans.