Although education drives economic prosperity, Romania maintains one of the highest school dropout rates in Europe. Beyond the trajectory of young people who leave the education system early and are often exposed to the risk of low-paying jobs, this phenomenon has become a structural challenge for the labor market and long-term economic development.
Integrated project measures in Vama Buzăului and Barcani
This explains the initiatives of the Amfiteatru Foundation. One of the implementation areas of our projects focuses on preventing early school leaving, which includes the initiative Together for a Better Future, a project carried out in Vama Buzăului and Barcani that offers a set of integrated measures to support 201 Roma students with the goal of reducing school dropouts.
To capture the real stakes of the project beyond the rigor of numbers, we spoke with Mr. Petcu Cătălin Vasile, the principal of„ Andrei Șaguna” Gymnasium in Barcani, who is directly involved in the project as a target group expert in both communes. Starting from his personal motto of never letting any student drop out of school, Mr. Petcu emphasizes that the school’s most important resource remains the child. Although reports show visible improvements such as better grades in the National Assessment, high school attendance, and a decrease in absences, the major challenge remains sustaining these results over the long term.
The challenge of sustainability: involving parents and teachers
One of the most important aspects of the project relates to sustainability. For this reason, the initiative has focused on sustainable activities and supporting the entire community, aiming for the project to become self-sustaining in the future precisely through the active involvement of parents and teachers.
Among the measures taken are information and awareness programs regarding the importance of education, counseling, and parental education for the parents of the children involved in the project. Although there was natural skepticism toward the program, Mr. Petcu confided that parents have been open to getting involved: Parents always view the school with circumspection. They look at things through the lens of their own school experiences. But after seeing the wonderful things happening in the projects and seeing that the school is open to students all day long, both physically and morally, parents slowly realize that things are done seriously and well, and that such projects bring well-being, both materially and spiritually. In turn, teachers also benefit from mentoring programs.
Direct support for students: school supplies, counseling, and extracurricular activities
To stimulate the desire to come to school, the project offers children not only intensive workshops dedicated to developing study skills, but also school supply packages and hygiene kits, complemented by individual and vocational counseling services for students in their graduating years: Education is actually our salvation as a society, and we as teachers or project managers must not forget this. The mission we assume through this project is for the school to become a real alternative. Through the activities we designed in the project, the connection to the school must be real and tangible, and through our support interventions, we will make children realize the importance of education. I dare to believe it will be a huge success.
Extracurricular activities include cultural and artistic education workshops, such as music, theater, dance, or photography, to help students discover their passions. According to Mr. Petcu, the children eagerly look forward to these activities.
Visible results and transformation within schools
When asked what the most visible result has been so far, whether in terms of attendance, grades, or classroom atmosphere, Mr. Petcu confesses that it is impossible to isolate a single aspect because everything in an educational institution is organic. He points out that it is rather a combination consisting of a drop in absences, an increase in grades and enthusiasm, but above all a visible transformation in the schoolyard. However, beyond the numbers, the greatest satisfaction comes from the children’s emotional fulfillment. The joy and enthusiasm of the students show that besides grades and attendance, general well-being is what truly brings the school to life.
Looking toward the end of the „Together for a Better Future project”, Mr. Petcu hopes that positive role models will multiply and leave deep marks on the children’s consciousness, thereby developing the community as well, while emphasizing that education is the solution to problems. When the school becomes a safe, attractive space anchored in the real needs of children, education ceases to be an obligation and becomes a natural tool for development for the entire community.