Education unions are calling on the Ministry of Education to transfer the assessment of social scholarship applications to local authorities

Riana Gegiu

15 October 2026, 12:33

Current Affairs

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The Free Trade Union Federation in Education and the “Spiru Haret” Education Trade Union Federation are calling on the Ministry of Education to urgently amend legislation so that the assessment of the financial files required for awarding social scholarships is taken over by local authorities, through the social assistance departments of city halls.

The request, submitted on Thursday, comes in the context of Deputy Alexandru Muraru’s initiative to reduce bureaucracy in teachers’ work. Union representatives say that teachers and primary school teachers are required to access the ANAF platform to verify the incomes of vulnerable families, even though this activity is not directly related to their job descriptions or the mission of the school.

The federations warn that the procedure takes time away from students and the educational process and may expose teachers to legal risks concerning the protection of personal data. The unions’ reaction follows the response issued by the Ministry of Education and Research on September 30, 2026, in which the institution deemed data verification a legal duty of service for class teachers and scholarship management committees.

The unions recall that a study financed by the ministry in 2024 recommended transferring responsibility to local administrations. They are calling on the future minister to treat the measure as a priority and to open dialogue to address other problems in the education system.

Context: The Minister proposed changes to social scholarships, while organizations are calling for support to be maintained during holidays as well

Before the unions’ request to cut red tape in the evaluation of applications for social scholarships, the Ministry of Education put up for public debate a draft decision providing for the elimination of social scholarship payments during school holidays, maintaining their award only during the school term. The draft was criticized for lacking explanations in the substantiation note and for restricting an existing right under the previous methodology.

At the same time, organizations such as Save the Children and World Vision Romania called on the Ministry not to eliminate social scholarship payments during holidays, arguing that poverty does not disappear once classes end. Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan stated that students’ allowances and scholarships would remain unchanged, specifying that the current allocation system would most likely continue in its existing form.

There have also been discussions about the manner of awarding scholarships and the eligibility verification conditions, including with reference to the legal obligations of class teachers and scholarship management committees, as well as previous recommendations to transfer responsibility to local administrations.