GRAPHIC The number of students with SEN in schools in Romania has almost tripled in the last 5 years, while the number of support teachers is kept by the Ministry of Education far below the legal standard. While in Galati county, a support teacher is responsible for 140 students, only in one county is this according to the law

The number of students with special educational needs, SEN, in mainstream education has almost tripled in the last 5 years, reaching over 50,000 in the 2023-2024 school year. At the same time, the number of support teachers does not cover the needs of the students and the legislation in force regarding the number of students allocated to a support teacher is not respected. For example, in Galati county, a support teacher has 140 students with CES in mainstream education, instead of 8-12 students.

Even the Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, recognized the lack of support staff in schools, school counselors and support teachers, in April 2024:

“We did not abolish the county assistance and resource centers, as was perhaps the case in the first version of the law put out for public debate. I kept them. We said let’s see how many support teachers we have, so we can have a clear record and be able to allocate them where they are most needed. But, if we are honest, we, the large public systems of education, social assistance, health, continue to suffer from a terrible lack of staff, especially in this area of ​​support”.

Brief information

• The number of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream education almost tripled from 2019 to 2023.
• In the 2023-2024 school year, there are 1,852 support teachers for 51,784 students in mainstream education, that is, one support teacher for 28 students, on average.
• If we relate the number of support teachers to the total number of students with SEN in mainstream and special education (71,324), we have 38 students to one support teacher.
• According to other data, also transmitted by the Ministry of Education, there would be 57,125 students with SEN in mainstream education in the 2023-2024 school year.
• Only in Tulcea county there are 10 students to one support teacher in mainstream education. At the opposite pole, u140 students in Galați and 107 students in Călărași are assigned to one support teacher.

The Ministry of Education sent different data regarding the number of students with CES in mainstream education in the 2023-2024 school year: 51,784 and 57,125

The data on the number of students with special educational requirements, CES, in mainstream education by county and school years were sent to Senator Adrian Hatos by the Ministry of Education, through State Secretary Florian Lixandru, on 21.03.2024.

Other data regarding the number of students with CES in mainstream education and the number of support teachers, per county, in the 2023-2024 school year were sent to Senator Silvia Dinića by the Ministry of Education, through the Secretary of State Sorin Ion, on 04/08/2024.

The number of pupils with special educational requirements in mainstream education almost tripled from 2019 to 2023, according to Ministry data

The total number of students with SEN in the 2023-2024 school year, according to information sent by the ministry on April 8

The number of students with SEN in mainstream education	51,784
The number of students with SEN in special education	19,450
Total	71,234

Counties with the most students with SEN in mainstream education and the number of support teachers

The number of pupils with SEN in mainstream education assigned to a support teacher, according to data from 8 April

One support teacher has 8-12 students, according to the methodology in force, regarding the organization of educational support services for children, students and young people with special educational needs integrated in mainstream education, from October 7, 2011.

In reality, only in Tulcea county there are 10 students to one support teacher in mainstream education. At the opposite pole, a support teacher has 140 students in Galati and 107 students in Calarasi.

The teaching norm and the duties of the support teacher will change starting from the next school year

The new organizational regulation for the County Educational Resource and Assistance Centers, CJRAE, put up for public debate by the Ministry of Education, provides for new attributions for support teachers and didactic norms depending on the level of support in which the student will be placed, according to the education law pre-university

Thus, “the activity of the itinerant and support teacher consists in providing support/educational support (learning, stimulation, compensation, recovery and consolidation) during and outside of class hours, in the group/class room and/or in the resource rooms for educational and psychopedagogical support and other dedicated spaces.

At least half of the time allocated to the didactic norm takes place in the group/class, during teaching-learning activities/lessons, in partnership with the group/class teacher.

The number of hours, the educational subjects, the space where the activities are carried out (group room/class/resource room), as well as other aspects regarding the organization of the itinerant and support teacher’s activity are established by mutual agreement through consultation with the multidisciplinary team and according to of the level of educational support that each preschooler/preschooler/student with SEN benefits from.

The regulation and salary of CJRAE/CMBRAE staff is carried out according to the legislation in force. Within school units with legal personality:

• an itinerant and support teacher position for 8-12 children/students/young people with support level I and II individually integrated. The activity can be carried out individually or in groups of 2-3 students in groups/classes/resource rooms in mass education units.
• an itinerant teacher and support position for 4-6 children/students/young people with support level III, individually integrated. The activity can be carried out individually or in groups of 2-3 students in groups/classes/resource rooms in mass education units.
• one itinerant and support teacher position for up to 12 children/students/young people with support level I and II and III integrated individually. The activity can be carried out individually or in groups of 2-3 students in groups/classes/resource rooms in mass education units.

The teaching norm related to the position of itinerant and support teacher in the department of specialized educational services includes a number of 40 hours/weekdistributed as follows:

a) 18 hours/week consisting of: support activities and methodological coordination of itinerant and support teachersdirect activity with the pre-schooler/preschooler/integrated student, the elaboration of analyses, studies, researches, projects, etc.;

b) 22 hours/week consisting of: methodological-scientific and complementary training activitiesestablishing measures and drawing up personalized educational plans, collaboration with the educational/local community, etc.

The teaching norm related to the itinerant and support teacher position in the educational unit includes a number of 40 hours/weekdistributed as follows:

a) 18 hours/week related to the teaching norm is achieved through: direct activity with the preschooler/preschooler/student integrated in the class and within the resource rooms in the educational unit; participation, during the teaching-learning hours, in the activities carried out in the classroom; participation in school and extracurricular group/class educational activities as an observer, consultant, co-participant, etc.;

b) 22 hours/week consisting of: methodological-scientific and complementary training activities, establishing measures and drawing up personalized educational plans, mentoring activitiescollaboration with the educational/local community etc”, according to the new organizational regulation of the CJRAE, put up for public debate.

Data provided by the Ministry of Education

County	Number of students with CES mainstream education – March 21	Number of students with CES mainstream education – April 8	Number of support teachers	Number of students with SEN assigned to a support teacher, according to data from April 8
white	1,007	1,014	32	31
Arad	1,280	1,236	86	14
Arges	1,909	1,741	97	18
Bacau	1,534	1,241	31	40
Bihor	1,791	1,652	71	2. 3
Bistrita-Nasaud	1,128	1,063	29	36
Botosani	2,492	2,110	43	49
Braşov	1,327	1,299	85	15
Braila	1,171	1,064	42	25
Bucharest	4,510	3,794	197	19
Buzau	1,272	1,070	2. 3	46
Caras-Severin	1,187	1.103	72	15
Calarasi	468	429	4	107
Cluj	2,316	2,061	97	21
Constant	1,638	1,500	24	62
Covasna	643	569	18	31
Dambovita	1,755	1,553	38	40
Dolj	1,427	1,279	35	36
Galati	1,272	1,138	8	142
George	273	248	8	31
Gorge	1.104	1,030	39	26
Snort	905	814	48	16
Hunedoara	1.105	1,089	29	37
IALOMIŢA	998	921	30	30
IASI	1,707	1,439	39	36
Ilfov	912	766	2. 3	33
Maramures	1,074	901	39	2. 3
MEHEDINŢI	922	902	58	15
Mures	1,371	1,252	14	89
German	2,512	2,484	51	48
Olt	772	717	22	32
Prahova	1,503	1,346	59	22
Satu Mare	569	558	20	27
Salaj	1,145	1,035	20	51
Sibiu	1,540	1,311	67	19
Suceava	2,017	1,896	53	35
Teleorman	747	646	28	2. 3
Timis	2,490	2,184	86	25
Tulcea	360	354	33	10
row	1,205	1.103	14	78
dale	1,067	1,258	28	44
Vrancea	700	614	12	51
Total	57,125	51,784	1,852

Read also:

The new organizational regulation for the County Educational Resource and Assistance Centers, CJRAE: The number of students assigned to a school counselor, support teacher, speech therapist, three new departments and more school counselors through the transformation of some positions – project

Ligia Deca recognizes the lack of support staff in schools: So that teachers can do what they do best, education, we need specialists to help us in related areas, dropout prevention, students with CES, application to European projects