Association for Education and Social Justice “Human Catalyst” sent a letter to the attention of Education Minister and Finance Minister Eugen Sorin Câmpeanu Teodorovici to require compliance with commitments made by Parliament and the Romanian government four years ago – art. 58 of the National Education Law and No OMECTS. 5349 / 07.09.2011 – by budgeting program after school, so as to be accessible to over 400,000 underprivileged students, according to an NGO.

In developing the draft budget for 2016 by 15 November, the organization asked that the two ministries inclusion in the project of the “School after school” and the manner proposed financing and result indicators for the program in accordance with the model Annex to budget authorizing officer.

The Association points out that more than 400,000 students in Romania live in poverty, most of them in rural areas. All are at risk of major dropout: about 12,000 students in primary and middle school students in more than 28,000 already gives to school every year.

However, a study conducted in 2014 by the Association for Education and Social Justice shows that only 15% of schools receive additional educational support programs, which are situations where parents bear the costs of a material or non-governmental organization.

Although the program SdS is for all children and the law provides that in the case of schools with students from disadvantaged state can finance the program from the state budget, in fact, precisely those who are most in need of additional support have access to the program: children and young people from families with low socioeconomic status, children and young people from rural areas, Roma and other marginalized groups. Schools in disadvantaged communities have limited resources do not cover even basic costs, so it can not hold its own resources support activities for students. Supporting the costs of such a program by parents – as happens in most schools there are currently SdS – is impossible in such cases. The solution would be to allocate resources from the state budget for implementation at national level of the SdS, prioritizing annual beneficiary schools, depending on the riskiness of the students in the school, showing association.

“We note that the legislative proposal Pl-x no. 472/2015 amending Article 58 para. 4 of the Education Law no. 1/2011 (individual SdS vouchers worth 200 lei / month) is not a solution for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, but affects only students from families who can afford to pay for services “after school”. Addressed to this category of students, the measure would have no impact in the reduction of absenteeism and drop because research clearly shows that those exposed these risks are students whose families would not afford to pay “after school”, namely: children and young people from families with low socioeconomic status; children and young people in rural areas; Roma and other marginalized groups. A legislative amendment in this regard would lead to the perpetuation and deepening and greater educational and social disparities existing between rural – urban, between rich and poor, the main beneficiaries of approval Pl-x no. 472/2015 is actually the owners of industry “after school”, “the association says.