In a move that has sent ripples through Romania’s education system, sweeping changes to teacher workloads and pay structures are set to reshape both public and private schools as the 2025-2026 academic year approaches. The new measures, embodied in Law no. 141/2025—widely dubbed the “Bolojan Law”—mark the first significant increase in teaching norms since 1995, and have already ignited heated debate among educators, unions, and government officials alike.
According to a recent report by eJobs and confirmed by PSNews.ro, salaries in Romania’s private education sector have climbed in recent years, especially in the capital. A private kindergarten educator in Bucharest now earns between 4,000 and 5,000 lei monthly, while assistant educators typically see paychecks ranging from 3,500 to 4,000 lei. Medical assistants and psychologists working in private kindergartens each average about 4,000 lei per month. Leadership roles command even higher compensation: a private kindergarten director earns around 10,000 lei, and directors of private schools or high schools can see their salaries reach or surpass 15,000 lei.
But these figures only tell part of the story. Salary ceilings in the private sector fluctuate based on experience and professional certifications, and the gap between Bucharest and smaller cities is stark—educators outside the capital earn about 25% less. In the public system, a teacher’s base salary is roughly 3,900 lei net, with beginner teachers making between 3,500 and 4,200 lei. Experience and didactic grade matter: those with over 25 years of service and grade I can reach base salaries between 6,800 and 7,500 lei, not including a range of bonuses and extra-salary benefits like class head teacher indemnities, merit grades, doctorate bonuses, isolated area teaching incentives, and even vacation vouchers.
Yet, despite these headline numbers, a new wave of frustration is building among Romania’s teachers. The reason? Law no. 141/2025, which was published in the Monitorul Oficial on July 25, 2025, and took effect immediately, introduces a controversial increase in the teaching norm for many educators. As reported by TVR Craiova and Edupedu.ro, the law raises the weekly teaching load for gymnasium, high school, and post-secondary teachers to 20 hours, up from the previous 18, provided they possess at least a bachelor’s degree in their field. For teachers with didactic grade I or emeritus status who are engaged in mentoring, the norm is slightly reduced to 18 hours per week. For primary school educators, the system remains “one post per class,” but now includes two mandatory hours of remedial preparation weekly.
This change, seemingly technical, has profound implications for experienced teachers. Adrian Voica, president of the SIPA Muntenia union, explained the impact in stark terms: “Colleagues with over 25 years of experience and didactic grade I have 4 hours in addition per week. In a month, that’s 16 hours worked without pay, which means a disguised salary reduction of 25%.” Voica’s comments, made to TVR Craiova, have resonated throughout the teaching community, fueling a sense of betrayal and anxiety.
The government’s rationale for the new law is rooted in fiscal austerity. The so-called “Bolojan Law” is part of a broader package of budgetary measures aimed at streamlining public spending. But many educators and cultural figures argue that the impact on the education budget will be negligible, while the consequences for teaching quality and morale could be dire. In a petition delivered to the government and shared with Edupedu.ro, more than 300 teachers, writers, directors, actors, and artists demanded the withdrawal of the austerity package targeting education. “The recent measures—increasing class sizes, merging schools, reducing staff, raising teacher workloads—are presented as solutions for the budget, but their fiscal impact is insignificant,” the document asserts.
The petitioners warn that increasing teaching norms and eliminating thousands of positions, especially among young substitute teachers (including those with high scores on the titularization exam), will only worsen the system’s woes. “These actions, as outlined in the current package of government measures, aggravate the situation in education. This is a disguised form of mass dismissal, rarely seen in Romanian society since the 1989 revolution,” the statement reads. The signatories emphasize that young teachers are the engine of educational modernization, and replacing them with less qualified personnel will inevitably lower the quality of instruction. “Education cannot be achieved through strategies based on improvisations,” they caution.
The specifics of the new law are complex. For example, teachers in practical instruction and master-instructors will have norms of 26 hours per week (if they hold a bachelor’s degree), or 22 hours if they have grade I and mentor status. In special education, teaching and therapy staff face an 18-hour norm, while educators and master instructors have a 22-hour norm. Notably, teachers with over 25 years of experience and grade I, or those who demonstrate outstanding educational performance, may benefit from a two-hour weekly reduction—without salary impact—but only if they meet criteria set by the Ministry of Education.
There’s also a special regime in place for the period from 2025-2026 through 2029-2030, allowing certain activities—such as national exam preparation, educational performance mentoring, and remedial learning—to count toward the teaching norm. However, critics argue that these changes are poorly justified. According to Edupedu.ro, the Ministry of Education and Research has not released any analysis supporting the measures in Law no. 141/2025, apart from public statements by Minister Daniel David. An independent analysis requested from the Institute of Educational Sciences was reportedly censored by the minister, citing the need for peer review, because it contradicted the ministry’s arguments with data and studies.
It’s not just seasoned educators who are feeling the squeeze. The law’s provisions for consolidating classes, merging schools, and reducing staff threaten the positions of many young teachers, who often serve as substitutes or aspire to permanent roles. The risk, critics say, is that schools will increasingly fill gaps with less qualified staff, undermining the very foundation of educational quality that the reforms are purportedly designed to protect.
Amid these sweeping changes, salary disparities remain a persistent concern. While private sector pay in Bucharest can be attractive, and bonuses in the public sector offer some relief for the most experienced educators, the overall picture is one of growing uncertainty. The new teaching norms, combined with stagnant or reduced take-home pay for many, have left teachers feeling undervalued and overburdened. As one union leader put it, “This is a disguised salary cut, and it’s being done without any real consultation or transparent justification.”
The coming school year will test the resilience of Romania’s educators—and the resolve of its policymakers. With teachers, artists, and community leaders joining forces to demand a rethink, the debate over the future of Romanian education is far from settled. For now, classrooms across the country are bracing for change, hoping that the lessons learned will lead not just to fiscal balance, but to a renewed commitment to quality and fairness in education.
