According to the minister, authorities should be more flexible, in the sense that preparatory courses should be held in kindergartens, for objective reasons such as the shortage of teaching staff and adequate space in schools. But until a new law is adopted, the regulations passed on September 1st, 2012 must be enforced, Remus Pricopie added, although, he emphasised, policies should not be implemented overnight, without researching their impact.

The most important change operated in the 2012-2013 school year is the introduction of the so-called preparatory grade in the primary education cycle, with as many as 130,000 kids enrolled last September. An open critic of this measure was the former Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu, who said authorities had difficulties arranging special classrooms in schools, for pre-schoolers. In turn, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said at the time that in his opinion it would be necessary and useful for these preparatory courses to be held in kindergartens starting next year.

As regards the Baccalaureate, minister Pricopie has said that, under the current law, the exam procedure will be the same as last year, with surveillance cameras in all exam halls. The vocational baccalaureate may also be introduced, the minister added, if Parliament regulates this option. The vocational baccalaureate would be a new form of completing high-school education, and would address those high-school graduates who are interested in finding a job, rather than attending a university.

Meanwhile, violence in schools is a serious problem facing Romania, and minister Pricopie believes this can be solved, among others, by training children to avoid risks. Still, the Romanian education system is rather vulnerable, not only because of frequent changes, but also because of under-financing, which has undermined its quality. Minister Remus Pricopie expressed his hope that in 2013 the Education Ministry will benefit from a larger budget than it had last year.