QX reforms enter the trial year: major changes in schools, universities, and research in 2026–2027

After leading the Ministry of Education and Research during a full-blown political and fiscal crisis, psychologist and UBB rector Daniel David details, in a summary article, how the Ministerial Reform Program QX begins to produce its effects in the new school/university year and in Romanian research: from declaring functional illiteracy as a national security risk and reorganizing high schools, to the QX Bologna 2.0 Reform and the classification of research units into three quality classes. The author warns that if the reforms are maintained for at least the duration of a study cycle, in 4–5 years Romania can drastically reduce functional illiteracy and strengthen scientific competitiveness, but if they are abandoned, the country risks remaining stuck in old education problems and technological colonization.

The political context and the stakes of the reforms

Daniel David took over the education and research portfolio on December 23, 2024, during a moment of "serious" political crisis – the cancellation of presidential elections – and austerity generated by the budget deficit. Invited to the government as a specialist, not as a politician, he conditioned his acceptance of the position on the unification of education and research into a single ministry, to build a coherent strategy for a "modern knowledge-based society".

Based on the Ministerial Diagnostic Report QX, the minister states that he found that education and research systems can become "national security risks", which led to the decision to create the Ministerial Reform Program QX. Although the program was carried out in parallel with harsh fiscal adjustment measures, David emphasizes that it was assumed by the entire pro-Western coalition and supported even by President Nicușor Dan.

Functional illiteracy treated as a security risk

A central pillar of the QX Reforms is the fight against functional illiteracy, which the author describes as the "main dynamic" of the education system. He shows that almost half of the youth under 18 are in this area, if school dropout is also taken into account, which makes them vulnerable to pseudoknowledge, manipulation, and conspiracy discourse.

David explicitly proposed the inclusion of functional illiteracy as a national security risk in the National Defense Strategy of the Country, informing the president, the leadership of Parliament, and the prime minister; this formulation now appears in the official strategic document. As remedial measures, he mentions protecting social scholarships for students, increasing the budget by about 40% for the 2026 program "healthy meals", as well as launching the MIAF program for functional literacy in primary and secondary education.

Changes in pre-university education

At the high school level, the 2026–2027 school year marks the implementation of a new curriculum, with reformed framework plans and alternatives, which introduce decentralization by allocating a budget of hours that students can choose from the school's offer. In the framework of piloting alternative framework plans, 77 such plans will be implemented in 43 high schools, inspired by practices from the USA and Nordic countries.

At the secondary and primary levels, the reform requires that 25% of the time for each subject be dedicated to remedial activities, for the formation, consolidation, and application of competencies in daily life. National assessments for grades II, IV, and VI have been redesigned in "PISA logic", with integrative items and orientations towards real situations, and the results must be correlated with individualized educational plans, mandatory in the new framework.

At the level of early education, the minister focused on developing infrastructure and human resources, including through projects such as SU-ETIC and unblocking positions in nurseries and kindergartens during the crisis period. He encourages university programs with double specialization – early education and primary education – to increase graduates' chances in the labor market.

Digitalization, ethics, and safety in schools

The article details a consistent package of digitalization measures: generalizing the electronic register, introducing QR codes for educational documents, pilot projects for using artificial intelligence in schools and universities, and training over 100,000 teachers in digital pedagogy. David states that before the end of his term, he submitted the project "Integrated Information Management System in Education", approved in 2026, which should digitalize assessments, the register, and major processes in pre-university education.

Alongside the technological component, the author insists on regulations for ethics, safety, and control of problematic behaviors, including the "red button" in schools, intervention guidelines, and financial support for a healthy educational environment. He warns that these tools risk remaining "form without substance" if not implemented in a coordinated manner, under the firm control of the ministry.

QX Bologna 2.0 Reform in universities

In higher education, Daniel David subsumes the interventions under the label "QX Bologna 2.0 Reform", built on the idea of clarifying the mission of each university and flexibilizing the architecture of the system. Each institution now has an explicit mission, taken into account in national evaluations, and study cycles have been decoupled to allow for "graduate vs. undergraduate" profiling.

The minister mentions strengthening the CoARA component in national evaluations, updating the CNATDCU criteria for academic and doctoral titles, as well as developing methodologies for postdoctoral and postgraduate programs. Also in this framework, the development of double teaching and academic specializations has been relaunched, starting with the 2025–2026 academic year, and academic concentration between universities and institutes has been encouraged.

Research: classification of CDI units and centers of excellence

In the area of research-development-innovation, David describes as "the most important reform" the evaluation and reclassification of all CDI units wishing to access public funds, into three quality classes. Those in class I are expected to receive increased funding, those in class II adapted funding, and those in class III to reorganize, including through mergers with universities or other institutes.

Through the National Authority for Research, the ministry has financially secured the largest research competition in Romania's history – National Centers of Excellence – an initial network of 18 centers with the possibility of expanding to 24. These should be the engine of original knowledge production and strengthen the country's competitiveness in a 5.0 society based on innovation.

The international dimension and salaries

The article emphasizes that education and research have been prepared for Romania's accession to the OECD, after evaluation reports were finalized and approved, and the results were officially launched. Also, Romania has become a full member of the Executive Council of UNESCO for the 2025–2029 term, and the ministry has strengthened ties with the USA, including by resuming the FLEX program.

In conclusion, Daniel David returns to the issue of salaries, demanding that the future unified salary law respect the promises made to the education-research sector in 2023–2024 and ensure the equivalence of teaching and research functions. He reaffirms his belief that the QX Reforms can be "an adequate antidote" to functional illiteracy and scientific colonization, but admits that they are not "the only possible way" and that the verdict will come in 4–5 years, depending on the consistency of implementation.