Special education in Romania

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to give a closer view of the realities in special education in Romania, as part of the general reform in the educational system. It outlines the most important features of the past that have led to the present problems which Romania has to face, and presents the main categories of disadvantaged children in the context of social protection guaranteed by the present laws. Where available, data with respect to the years 1991 to 1993 are given.     

Employment,education, and emigration: the FYR of Macedonia

The transitional process of the FYR of Macedonia since independence in 1991 has been marked by a severe economic crisis, which has led to a significant increase in the levels of unemployment (31.9 percent in 2002) and poverty (22.7 percent in 2001). The turbulent situation in the Balkan region (war in the countries of the Former Yugoslavia) and finally the internal conflict in 2001 have created a strong tendency for migration. The present study is focused primarily on providing evidence for the migration and outflow of skilled labour. It looks in more depth at the reasons for brain drain, at the current policies of the country to tackle it, and gives some practical recommendations for policy‐makers in the area of brain drain. The paper explores the links between unemployment of the highly educated in the FYR of Macedonia and brain drain. Further, the paper discuses the situation within higher education: why has the number of domestic students risen so drastically in recent years and why have more and more students opted to study abroad? What damage will this tendency cause in the short and medium term? Are there some returns from high skilled emigration that offset or even improve source country development prospects?     

Academic Property and the Market in Romania

One of the important features of universities is their existence as major places of employment for persons involved in many of the arts and the sciences. Seen in this context, the problem of academic property has emerged and has taken on importance along with the emergence of the private alternative in higher education. Thus certain controversies have erupted in Romania. These have been linked to the right of academics to market their knowledge as “higher education” and to teach outside their “principal” universities. This article also investigates the duality of the higher education market as a market driven by prestige and/or by money, as well as the position of academic property in this context.     

Higher education reform in Romania

This paper reviews the crisis in Romanian universities since the country's political transition in 1989, and describes the government's strategy for revitalizing the higher education system. Attention is drawn to the expansion of access to higher education, the dramatic increase of enrollments in social science fields, the spontaneous establishment of private higher education institutions, and to the many difficulties institutions are experiencing in coping with these changes especially because of resource constraints. Comprehensive reform of the role of the state in the financing and governance of higher education are proposed. The government's reform strategy involves accreditation of public and private institutions, establishment of open transparent mechanisms for allocating institutional and research funding, as well as changes in the structure of academic employment. Successful implementation will require strengthening the fragile management capacity of the Ministry of Education and the higher education institutions.     

Reforming Teacher Education in Romania

The reform of the Romanian system of initial and in‐service teacher education is facing similar pressures to those experienced by other European countries' teacher education systems. In particular, the drive towards greater professionalization of teaching careers and university training for teachers. In Romania this process has vacillated between continuity and change, following a path marked by hesitations, recurrences, even temporary renunciation, and important acquisitions. At present, the new institutions that have assumed the role of initial teacher training for primary school and preschool, seem to be evolving irreversibly, in accordance with European institutional practices and structures and with the Bologna Process. The system of in‐service training for primary school and preschool has undergone serious reconsideration in recent years. The quality of this process is ensured by a strategy that regulates the existence of a free market for educational services, by the adoption of a transferable credits system, and by the establishment of standards for in‐service training programs.     

Cumulative environmental risk and youth maladjustment: the role of youth attributes

Using data from 5,070 youth ages 11 to 18 years old who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, concurrent and longitudinal associations among cumulative risk, protective factors, and youth maladjustment were examined. Cumulative risk was associated with concurrent conduct problems and depressed mood. For conduct problems, a compensatory effect was found for scholastic achievement and problem-solving ability. For depressed mood, a compensatory effect was found for scholastic achievement. A protective-reactive effect of self-esteem was found for both forms of maladjustment. Youth gender, grade, and ethnicity moderated these associations. Cumulative risk predicted change over time in depressed mood. Scholastic achievement and self-esteem compensated for this risk. Findings indicate that youth attributes offer limited protection when adolescents experience risk factors across life domains.     

Higher Education in Romania: Evolution and Views from the Business Community

The paper has two purposes: to present the evolution of highereducation in Romania after 1990, as an illustration of the transitionperiod in Central and Eastern Europe and as a background for thesubsequent section, and to present the results of a study concerningthe relationship between higher education and the business communityin Romania. The empirical study is based on a survey of privatecompanies from Bucharest. The survey had as its main objective to analyse the evolution and performances of graduates from both privateand state universities in the labour market, based on the companies'experiences with them. Considering the results of the study, thepaper draws conclusions in relationship with the general status ofhigher education in Romania, focusing on the needs of the companies, as major beneficiaries of higher education, along with individualsand society as a whole.     

Restless teachers and institutional support for change 1

For the past 12 years the Panel on Research and Development of Instructional Resources of the Committee on Instructional Cooperation (CIC) has published an annual compendium of selected instructional/curricular changes in the Big Ten universities. A content analysis of 398 project summaries is the basis for the interpretive evaluations given in this article. College teaching is more varied than in former years and the discipline teacher generally needs professional assistance in the design of a project and in working out the procedures for evaluation. The position is taken that the resource structure of the university is more out of line with the demands of the time than is the reward structure.     

Higher education in Romania: Evolution and views from the business community

Abstract

The paper has two purposes: to present the evolution of higher education in Romania after 1990, as an illustration of the transition period in Central and Eastern Europe and as a background for the subsequent section, and to present the results of a study concerning the relationship between higher education and the business community in Romania. The empirical study is based on a survey of private companies from Bucharest. The survey had as its main objective to analyse the evolution and performances of graduates from both private and state universities in the labour market, based on the companies’ experiences with them. Considering the results of the study, the paper draws conclusions in relationship with the general status of higher education in Romania, focusing on the needs of the companies, as major beneficiaries of higher education, along with individuals and society as a whole.     

Faculty and peer influences on academic integrity: college cheating in Romania

The purpose of this research was to examine student perceptions of academic integrity among faculty and peers at a sample of public universities in Romania. The study explores the factors that influence academic dishonesty among college students and compares the relative importance of faculty influences and peer influences on students’ intent to cheat. The study differs from the existing literature on academic integrity in that it examines the degree to which student cheating in college is influenced by the quality and relevance of instruction and the academic dishonesty of instructors and peers.     

Supporting youth involved in domestic minor sex trafficking: Divergent perspectives on youth agency

Domestic-minor sex trafficking (DMST) continues to affect youth in the United States; however, lack of empirical evidence for interventions and the complex sociopolitical discourses surrounding sex trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) hamper delivery of effective services to this population. To explore perspectives on best practices with these young people, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders whose work provides them with a unique vantage point on the needs and experiences of survivors of DMST in New Jersey. Notes from interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes. While key stakeholders generally agreed on best practices, there were several important areas of dispute that emerged regarding how best to serve youth involved in DMST, specifically with regard to youth running away from services, models of service provision, and the use of technology by these youth. Findings suggest that professionals from diverse backgrounds may disagree about the extent to which youth involved in DMST possess agency in their decision-making capacities as adolescents. This study explores these areas of dispute, and discusses the implications for the many different professionals and systems that must work together in providing services to this population.