The Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, speaks to millions of students, teachers and parents from all over the country, about one of the most important projects carried out so far, more precisely the ROSE project, integrated in the national initiative "Support for baccalaureate, access to college" and coordinated by, has reached the end , marking impressive achievements in reducing school dropout and improving access to higher education in Romania.
Minister of Education transmits that, financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) with 200 million euros, the program managed to achieve all its initially established indicators, exceeding expectations. ROSE demonstrated the importance of investing in students and teachers to reduce school dropout.
The Minister of Education emphasized that the project offered quality resources, mentoring, personalized educational support and additional funding, essential elements to combat this phenomenon. At the same time, the project supported the digitization of national assessments, motivated students to enroll in university and supported the training of teaching staff through professional conversion programs.
The project had a significant impact on education in Romania. The average dropout rate in the final grades of the high schools included in the program decreased by almost six percentage points, and the baccalaureate graduation rate in the same high schools increased by over 23 percentage points. Also, the retention rate in the first year of university studies increased from 79,4% to 83,15% in 2024.
During the implementation, the project offered grants to 869 high schools and 414 universities, digitized national assessments through the purchase of 12.358 scanners and software applications and supported the training of over 4.300 high school teachers through specialized programs. During the pandemic, the participating high schools were equipped with 59.072 laptops, 5.746 video cameras and 4.346 smart boards, contributing to ensuring the continuity of the educational process.
ROSE supported Romania's participation in important international tests such as TIMSS 2019, PISA 2022 and ICILS 2023, highlighting the country's commitment to improving education at the global level. In addition, over 1.500 teachers have benefited from professional conversion university programs in 17 higher education institutions.
During the closing conference, the delegation of the Ministry of Education and representatives of BIRD visited two high schools that successfully implemented the project: the Art High School in Sibiu and the Technological High School of Tourism in Calimanesti. Both educational units demonstrated an exemplary execution of the budget, with the use of more than 90% of the allocated funds.
The ROSE project stands out as an example of good practices in education in Romania, demonstrating how strategic and well-directed investments can transform the lives of students, teachers and, implicitly, the educational system. His accomplishments will be used as the basis for future projects designed to support the development of education at all levels.
