ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY RELATIONS - FUND FOR EDUCATION - MAPPING CHANGE IN ROMANIA'S SCHOOLS
Romania’s education system is facing a profound crisis: nearly half of the children who begin school do not graduate from high school. This critical loss of human potential is compounded by demographic challenges such as population aging and increasing emigration, many of those leaving the country today are highly educated professionals. Meanwhile, the labour market continues to face shortages in essential skills, revealing a disconnect between educational outcomes and workforce needs.
Despite ongoing efforts by public institutions, civil society, and the private sector, there remains a lack of alignment and coherence among initiatives aimed at improving education. The Fund for Education, developed by ARC (Association for Community Relations) with support from the A. R. Foundation, was created to address this gap by fostering collaboration, transparency, and strategic planning across sectors.
The project seeks to build a national map of NGO-led interventions in public education over the past three years, highlighting where these efforts take place, what methodologies are used, and the results they have achieved. It also explores priority areas for future investment, develops a school-level evaluation tool to assess the effectiveness of various interventions, and launches a series of video reels for parents to support them in guiding their children's educational paths.
More than a data-gathering exercise, the Fund for Education is helping to initiate the first sector-wide dialogue around impact, data coherence, and strategic alignment in Romanian education. It has already led to a growing focus on civic education as a national priority and strengthened cooperation among NGOs working in the field.
The A.R. Foundation supports this initiative for its long-term vision and systemic approach, creating the groundwork for more informed, impactful, and collaborative investment in education.