Thinker and his companion Constanta Museum Photo: Ileana Johnson 2012 |
Brenciu is a firm believer that the lack of spending in
education is a direct reason for the pathetic performance. He explained that
Romania continues to place last on education spending, behind countries like
Bulgaria, China, and Indonesia.
Despite politicians’ promises to make education a priority,
financing it has remained at the bottom when compared to schools’ needs and to
allocations that other countries have made in education. He illustrated the
dearth of investment in “human capital,” a.k.a. education, with a statistically
low 2.5% of the national budget in 2013, 3.2% in 2014, and 3.7% in 2015.
Even though politicians have introduced a benchmark of 6
percent for education, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS),
investment in education has never exceeded 4 percent. Yet every government in
power and every prime minister have pledged to the voting population that
education was a priority. Remus Pricopie, former Minister of Education
(2012-2014) reported in 2014 3.2 percent of the budget for expenditures in
education.
I happen to disagree with Mircea Brenciu that spending more on
education, throwing more money at schools, is going to make a difference in student
achievement, performance on tests, or long-term retention and learning.
I don’t think the communist party spent outrageous amounts
to indoctrinate the youth yet, in general, excluding the worthless classes of
Scientific Socialism, Socialist Philosophy, and other such courses, students
received a well-rounded education even though they had no labs for
experimentation in physics, chemistry, or biology.
When I arrived directly from the socialist/communist state
to the United States, I was shocked how ill-prepared most students and their
teachers actually were. The depth of knowledge acquired by most eastern block
students was superior when compared to the education of most Americans. It is also
true that American students were encouraged to think individually and outside
the box instead of emphasizing the collective. Collectivism stunted creativity
and inventiveness.
Since Americans have been spending thousands of dollars per
pupil to improve achievement and raise test scores, in the face of the fact
that test scores do not compare well to other countries, it is obvious that throwing
more money at education does not increase student performance or test scores.
There are other variables such as parental dedication and involvement in their
children’s education and two-parent families that are also very important.
I understand, in many villages in Romania, where the aediles
had not used the funds judiciously, or did not receive any funding for
education, it was hard to learn in a classroom whose roof was leaking, had no
heat, or the school had not been completed or repaired for habitation.
The most adversely affected by unemployment are high school
graduates with a rate of 8.1 percent unemployment when compared to those with a
college diploma (5.1%). By age, the group of 15-24 year-olds have 23.7%
unemployment rate. Among the 25-34
year-olds unemployment was much smaller, 7.75 percent.
It is obvious to Brenciu that there are special interests at
play that ignore the national interest, resulting in diminished education
possibilities. Having a Parliament is great, however, the voters, informed, misinformed,
or deliberately ignorant, get the politicians they elect. There is no such
thing as the best party in power. Romanians and people in general should run
like crazy away from a party or a politician who wants to dominate political
life. “Did we not have for over 50 years a ‘unique’ party which led us, against
our will, to the highest peaks of socialism?”
The content of education has become globalist, emphasizing
global citizenship or preparation for such global citizenship. The elites and the United Nations’
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working overtime everywhere to
institute the sought-after socialist global control.
To me, it was refreshing to see so many churches mushroom
around the country, and a comeback of faith after five decades of atheism under
Ceausescu’s socialist/communist dictatorship. State funds were allocated to
repair and rebuild many churches. But Romanians seemed to resent the church leaders
and priests who lived lavish and luxurious lives when compared to most
Romanians, while hospitals and schools were not funded adequately by the state
and people died as a result.
I noticed many museum and architectural gems in a sorry
state of neglect, decay, and rust. Priceless sculptures and mosaics were
drowning in dust at Tomis and marble Etruscan sarcophagi were used as trash
bins outside the Tomis Museum in Constanta.
Educators have told me that the curriculum is not teaching
students so much about their national heroes anymore. History and national
pride have been definitely marginalized in the quest to become “European citizens”
as quickly as possible. The dumbing down of education has showcased depravity
and immorality, denigrating good moral values, pride in national identity, and Romanian-ness. The
noble ideals of love for their country, of patriotism, of respect for historical
facts and for their ancestors, have disappeared from the curriculum, replaced
by defeatism and shame for one’s ancestry.
Many well-educated and average Romanians sought employment
elsewhere in the EU “openness” where the pay was commensurate with education,
training, and experience, leaving a huge vacuum in Romanian key sectors of
labor. Why work for 300 euros in Romania when you can get five times the pay (1,500
euros) for the same type job in the European Union and the cost of living is similar?
TO BE CONTINUED
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