1. European and Active Citizenship in Adult Education in Romania
Corina Leca
“The Friendship Ambassadors” Association, Targoviste, Romania

2. Courses/Programmes targeting teachers are offered by: A
Courses/Programmes targeting teachers are offered by: A. CCD existing in each county (local in-service teacher training center) B. various local and national NGOs (accredited or non-accredited)

3. Courses/Programmes targeting other adults are offered by: - universities (under-graduated and MA programmes), - labour unions, - local and national NGOs (accredited or non-accredited), - companies, - non-academic/folk universities (universitatile populare) and their foreign partners.

4. Who trains teachers? - CCD teachers (methodology experts), - people related to the local universities, - public servants (local agencies in charge of child/family/disadvantaged people/environment/etc. protection, public health, police, fire department, Red Cross etc.), - (accredited or non-accredited) NGO people.

5. Major themes of courses/programmes run by CCDs and NGOs: - ICT (especially in rural areas) or digital society & knowledge-based economy, - EU issues (legal issues, community projects, decision making, local democracy, networking to solve various problems), - interactive methods (teaching; improving the relationships between teachers, students, and their family), - project-based activity (writing proposals, using community resources, project management, volunteering),
CCDs analyse the training needs of the teachers working in that county every year. The continuing training of teachers is rooted in the concepts and tools of the European Qualifications Framework in LLL, in learning outcomes-centered education, and in competences-based training.

6. - democratic management at school level (including quality assurance, parents’ education, educational leaders), - environment education, healthy food, combating drug abuse, - dealing with violence, conflict resolution/communication, anti-discrimination (gender, religion, ethnicity, economic status, migrants), poverty, - consumer protection, - human rights, children’s rights.

7. NGOs working at national level: - Education (inclusive school, civic participation of students, participation and quality education in SE Europe), - Intercultural Institute in Timisoara (Project Citizen, NILE- a network of European intercultural educators, educating migrants), - Romanian Association for Debate, Oratory and Rhetoric (courses, competitions, campaigns), - Romanian Institute for Adult Education (research, publications, adult education system), - National Association of Folk Universities (European partnerships, PAIDEIA bulletin, courses for local community centers staff, civic ed., vocational ed. of marginalized people, promoting women, valuing minorities’ cultures)

8. Laws and facts: - CNFPA was set up by Law 132/1999, 559/2004 (authorizes AE providers, sets up standards), - order of the Minister of Education/2000 AE programmes delivered by schools and CCDs (EDC, parent ed., economic+entrepreneurial ed.), - the new bill of education is focused on LLL, linking school and community, modernising schooling cycles, decentralising curricula, encouraging Romanian scientific Diaspora to take part in Romania’s development etc. (the current Minister of Education’s speech at the spring European Council, regarding the Europe 2020 Strategy). “Academic and vocational education of children, youngsters and adults are focused on competences… that are necessary ….for social integration and active civic participation…, setting a life philosophy based on humanistic values, national and universal culture and encouraging intercultural dialogue, education for human rights, dignity and tolerance, considering all human beings’ problems, civic and moral values, nature, society and culture.” 

9. 2009 Regional meetings for setting up the Action plan in adult learning In 2007 Romania was the second last in adult participation in LLL (people aged who participated in any training in the previous year) 2.5% comparing to the EU average 12.5%. The NQFs are currently in progress and they are aligned with the EQF. Introduction of definitions and regulations to improve the status and the quality of AL. Indicators and other QA+QM components for VET institutions. Explicit quality criteria for providers/CNFPA. Measures to ensure the development of key competences for all adults (e.g. literacy courses to enable parents to support their children to do homework) Training courses for unemployed people

10. A survey on participation of Romanian employees at risk in adult education shows: - young people between are the least enrolled category in learning programmes, - women feel more insecure about their professional prospects, - respondents feel that the VT enhances their personal development, - employers are more and more convinced that the VT is a good investment, but not NOW (during the economic crisis).
It involved 1104 employees (18-24 year-olds with poor education, over 40 year-olds even less educated, and high school and university graduates at entry level) and 112 employers and was funded by the EU. The results were released in May 2010.

11. How the EDC/HRE component of the adult education in Romania matches the Europe 2020 Strategy
Smart growth
Sustainable growth
Inclusive growth
Innovation
Promoting active teaching-learning methods in all forms of education
Putting critical thinking at the core of education enterprises.
Encouraging autonomous learning/Valuing individual’s potential
Supporting partnerships and peer education
More and more joint-initiatives of traditional actors (schools, NGOs, parents’ associations etc.) and new comers (entities that were not explicit education providers)
Climate, energy and mobility
There are explicit courses and campaigns targeting students, teachers and other people (recycling, environment ed. community partnerships, business-civil society partnerships)
Employment and skills
LLL is a priority in the political statements/documents
Vocational training programmes are tailored according to the work skills needed on the labour market
Some AE courses have theoretical and practical components (trainees are required to do specific things in their daily professional lives as a training assignment and they subsequently analyse the effects etc.)
More and more projects are rooted in the beneficiaries’ need analysis
European partnerships are encouraged (exchange of good practice etc.)
Education
It is at the core of the national development policy (as a political statement)
EDC is a component of quality in education
Digital society
It is an explicit priority of training courses offered by various AE providers.
It is integrated in other training programmes
It is an essential part of many European partnerships/projects.
(goal and means)
Competitiveness
There are quality assurance systems in schools and universities
There are quality standards in vocational training
There are accreditation (of the AE providers) and monitoring procedures and institutions
Some local partnerships between companies and the civil society sector
Promoting project-based approaches in various learning&training contexts
Fighting poverty
Thematic courses targeting people/communities at risk (training of trainers etc.)
Special support of minority groups/associations (special policies and grants)
Special projects for rural areas
Community projects/development (emphasizing solidarity and joint-work of various actors)
Valuing and promoting cultural traditions of minority groups
Volunteering
Exchange of good practice
Problems:
- authentic quality is not really valued either in schools or other public bodies,
- school curricula do not match life challenges&labour market demands to the necessary extent,
- students’ interests are not the most important guidelines for school function,
- the education process and goals do not merge/go together (the evaluation system does not mirror the teaching-learning methods used in class).