Romania

1. As of 2021, the « Educated Romania » Project has become Romania’s strategic framework for education policies until 2030, and which has identified a number of priority domains. One priority domain of the Educated Romania Project is Digitalisation its objectives including the enhancing digital competences for students and educators, teacher training, bridging the digital divide, and implementing programs on cybersecurity, online safety, and IT ethics. The project incorporates best practices from European and international frameworks.
2. Adopted in 2023, the Pre-university Education Graduate’s Training Profile defines the competences that students are expected to have developed upon graduating the different levels of education (pre-school, primary, lower and upper secondary education), in alignment with European standards, including the RFCDC. The digital competence, including internet safety and cybersecurity is one of these competences and implies the effective and responsible use of technology and digital tools, emphasizing digital skills, ethical behaviour, and critical thinking. The Profile serves as a reference for curriculum design and is also useful for teachers, schools, parents and the community, at large, to design learning activites, educational resources, as well as multiple learning contexts, in formal, as well as in non-formal and informal settings.  
3. The Digital Competence Framework for Pupils (2024) is a competency profile in the field of digital literacy for primary, secondary and high school graduates, defining six domains, from foundational digital skills to cybersecurity and problem-solving, with performance descriptors and monitoring criteria. Teachers, curriculum developers, authors of textbooks and teaching use the framework to define « targets » for learning outcomes in the digital domain and to outline a rational progression in the acquisition of digital competences. 
4. The Digital Competence Framework for Educators (2022) is addressed to teachers at all levels of education (from pre-school to higher education), including adult education and education in non-formal learning contexts, and describes the digital competences that teachers need to develop in a pregressive manner. It includes 22 key competences across six domains, helping teachers develop the necessary competency to teach learners media literacy, content creation, digital communication and cooperation, problem solving and responsible use of digital technologies.  
5. Within the current curriculum, pupils study during lower secondary education the core school subject Informatics and ICT. Among the general competences targeted by this school subject are the responsible and efficient use of computing and communications and the creative development of IT products that capitalize on connections between Computer Science and ICT and society. The safe and effective use of the Internet is one of the specific competences covered in the school subject’s syllabi for grades 5 and 6.   
6. The provision of modern infrastructure adapted to the use of digital technologies in all schools has been one of the six main investments in the field of education, through financing from Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). In 2022 almost EUR 1 billion have been allocated for equipping pre-university educational establishments from all types of administrative-territorial units, including rural areas. One of the three major types of investments supported, is the digitalisation of learning environments through the purchase of ICT equipment (endowment of computer labs and provision IT equipment in classrooms). 

Sources

1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v1jxhuzpxe8EMSXkj9j7YksAY_1sfU7P/view?pli=1  
2. http://www.romaniaeducata.eu/rezultatele-proiectului/  
3. https://legislatie.just.ro/public/DetaliiDocument/277019  
4. https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocumentAfis/289961  
5. https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/257563    
6. https://www.edu.ro/comunicat_presa_116_2022_lansare_apel_competitiv_proiecte_dotare_scoli_mobilier_materiale_didactice_echipamente_digitale 

1. Through the operationalisation of the “Educated Romania” Project , the implementation of Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as the adoption of the two frameworks for digital competences for teachers and pupils, mentioned above, Romania’s implementing measures are in line with the provisions of the DCE Recommendation. 
2. The Educated Romania project was based on an extensive consultation process, including online consultations, regional debates and consultation events. The consultations were open to all stakeholders and the general public and generated an impressive amount of contributions and feedback.  
3. In addition, the two competence frameworks for teachers and pupils, respectively, were subject to public debate before being adopted.  
4. Safer Internet Day (SID) in Romania is an event dedicated to promoting safer and more responsible use of online technology, particularly among children and young people. Organised by Save the Children Romania, the 2024 event featured the release of sociological research on parents’ perspectives regarding their children’s internet activities.  

Sources

Romania has not reached the assessment stage yet, as the objectives set by the “Educated Romania” project for the priority domain Digitalisation are at various stages of development/ implementation.  

Other evaluations:  

a) The University of Bucharest recently launched the results of the national International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2022, which is the largest and only study dedicated to civic and citizenship education. The study, initiated by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, assesses the civic knowledge and engagement of 8th-grade students across 24 countries, including Romania. Romania will participate in the next cycle of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, in 2027.  

b) UiPath Foundation has developed a standardized digital literacy assessment tool in partnership with Brio, accessible to over 2.8 million students in Romania. This tool aims to measure students’ digital skills and help educators create tailored interventions to enhance these skills. The tool is aligned with the European Framework for Digital Competences and includes various levels of difficulty appropriate for different age groups.

Sources

1. https://unibuc.ro/universitatea-din-bucuresti-anunta-lansarea-rezultatelor-evaluarii-iccs-international-civic-and-citizenship-education-study/?lang=en  
2. https://www.coe.int/en/web/edc/romania
3. https://uipathfoundation.com/automation-and-digitalisation/  

The implementation of the “Educated Romania” Project which resulted in a report outlining the policy framework for education until 2030, was based on a vast consultation process. The consultation process lasted almost five years and involved over 64 public institutions, NGOs, local/central authorities and over 12,400 people. After an extensive period of public debate on the results of the project, consultations were organised with policy makers, parliamentarians and civil society.  

In addition, specialists from the Ministry of Education, county school inspectorates, teacher training centres, universities, as well as representatives of the IT industry in Romania participated in the development of the two digital competences frameworks, mentioned at Q1.

Sources

Online survey with national authorities      

According to the national authorities responding to the online survey, generally, the implementation of the legislation and policies that cover DCE concerns all relevant stakeholders in education: policy makers, school inspectorates, educational establishments, local public administration and partners from the civil society and nongovernmental sector.  

Sources

Online survey with national authorities. 

No, see answer to Q3.  

Sources

Online survey with national authorities  

1. Romania’s National Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs, known as Skills4IT, was established in 2015 following the European Commission’s initiative to enhance digital skills across EU member states. The coalition brings together a diverse range of partners from educational institutions, IT companies, training providers, professional organizations, and NGOs, all working towards improving digital competencies and employability within Romania.  
2. Ora de Net Program – implemented by Save the Children Romania, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research-: Running since 2008, this program promotes safe internet use for children and adolescents. It has collaborated with 3,600 schools, providing training for parents, teachers, and students, and fostering a network of volunteer teachers to implement digital literacy activities.  
3. Digital Civic Incubator Project (2023–2026): A collaboration among the Intercultural Institute Timișoara, Techsoup Association, and Școala de Valori, this project supports the education for democratic competences and digital citizenship through the free training of 4500 teachers and trainers  and the implementation of the DCE principles in 30 schools. It aligns with the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture and DCE approach, as well as with  tools like SELFIE and DigCompEdu.  
4. Festivalul Digital Predau Viitor: Organised annually by Techsoup Association, this free, international conference promotes pedagogy, digital citizenship, and STEAM education for educators and school leaders.  
5. The Ministry of Education and Research has established a partnership with the NGO Centrul de Jurnalism Independent (CJI) for promoting media literacy education in schools. Within this collaboration, the CJI implements the Media Education Programme through which media education concepts are introduced into the everyday work of upper secondary school teachers and pupils, following an extensive teacher training process. The Programme’s online platform offers teachers access to relevant resources. In addition, the course Digital Education and Media Skills has been developed and introduced as an optional (elective) course at high school level. In November 2024, the Ministry of Education and Research has renewed the partnership with the CJI in view of continuing the initiative, focusing on teacher training, the further development of optional courses o digital media education for lower and upper secondary education and the development and promotion of quality open educational resources for media education. ​ 

Sources

1. https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/latest/briefs/romania-snapshot-digital-skills
2. https://oradenet.ro/ https://better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/sic/romania
3. https://incubatorulcivicdigital.intercultural.ro/
   https://festival.predauviitor.ro/
4. https://eventsmax.ro/evenimente/festivalul-digital-predau-viitor-227805
   https://educatiemedia.cji.ro/
5. https://www.facebook.com/100064756924307/posts/pfbid0ixmcZwLVMP4nfHfqrdmBH28P4xZsMEvB7Uv7U37cz7dVVxhqtEhLp9WrYGNFwjTMl/

The partnerships concluded by the Ministry of Education and Research with its various partners are in accordance with national legislation.  

Sources

Online survey with national authorities  

1. Member of DCE Promoters Network 
2. Global Education Network Europe (GENE) 
3. Member of INHOPE / INSAFE (Centres from BIK+) network 
4. Media literacy expert group (E02541) 
5. Working Group on Digital Education: Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) (E03787) 
6. Commission Expert group for Digital Education Content (E03942) 
7. Commission Expert Group – Expert group on Safer Internet for Children 
8. In October 2024, the Policies and Resources for Safe and Supportive Schools Project was launched by the Ministry of Education, with technical assistance from UNICEF and EU funding under the Technical Support Instrument. This two-year project aims to create safe school environments by embedding social and emotional learning, psychosocial support, and mental health practices into school culture. A significant focus is placed on promoting the responsible use of technology, the internet, and social networks in curricular and extracurricular activities, supported by the development of comprehensive guidelines. 
9. Member of Commission Working group on Schools 

Sources

Training on DCE to teachers and other professionals:
According to the national authorities responding to the online survey, the development of digital competences among the staff teaching and non-teaching staff in the education system is one of the objectives of the priority area Digitisation (see answer to Q1). In this respect, one of the subsequent measures is to ensure adequate in-service training programs. It is also envisaged to introduce training modules in the area of security processing and protection of data, combating cyberbullying, etc., in initial training and in-service teacher training. 

For the implementation of this measure, in April 2024 the Ministry of Education launched the call for projects Digital pedagogy for pre-university teachers whose aim is the development and implementation of an in-service training program for state pre-university teachers in view of developing teachers’ digital skills and digital pedagogy skills, in line with the Digital Competence Framework for Educators (mentioned in the answer to Q1). 

Source: https://www.edu.ro/comunicat_presa_33_2024_lansare_apel_PNRR_pedagogie_digitala  

Translation and dissemination of DCE Recommendation:

The DCE Recommendation was disseminated among the relevant departments and institutions subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Research. The DCE Recommendation has not been translated.