On Tuesday evening, June 24, 2025, Romania's Minister of Education, Daniel David, announced a bold and symbolic gesture amid a challenging period for the country's education system: he will donate 25% of his monthly salary to support students through social and merit-based scholarships. This commitment, made public on the Ministry of Education's Facebook page, underscores his readiness to be what he calls a "minister of sacrifice," taking on the responsibility to implement tough reforms outlined in the recently published QX Report.
Daniel David's announcement comes at a time when the Romanian education sector is grappling with financial constraints and systemic issues. The minister's decision to redirect a quarter of his salary toward funding two merit scholarships and seven social scholarships is both a practical and symbolic act of solidarity with students affected by the ongoing crisis. While he acknowledges that his contribution alone cannot offset the broader challenges, he emphasizes the importance of such gestures in rallying support for necessary reforms.
In his message, David made clear that he assumed office during a difficult moment for the country and the education system. "I am prepared to be a minister of sacrifice, willing to endure both the malicious criticisms aimed at destabilizing our system or country, and the justified ones, politically and humanly," he said. He urged others not necessarily to follow his example but to become part of the solution rather than the problem. Reflecting on the emotional difficulty of accepting crisis measures, he noted, "I do not believe a reasonable person cannot understand rationally that changes are reasonable in crisis situations (some were even necessary in normal situations). However, as a psychologist, I understand that emotionally, one cannot be satisfied with crisis measures."
Looking ahead, Daniel David is set to present a detailed calendar of reform measures from the QX Report on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 14:00. These reforms, which he will monitor periodically, aim to modernize Romania's education and research system significantly. The reforms are grounded in the Government Program and the QX Report, reflecting a comprehensive approach to address both academic and financial challenges in the sector.
One of the immediate assurances from the minister is that there will be no layoffs or salary cuts in education and research in the short term. "We have no people to dismiss in education-research – this means we will not stop current employment contracts and will not modify salaries," he affirmed. This commitment is crucial in a sector often vulnerable to budgetary cuts and workforce instability.
Medium-term salary reforms are also planned. The minister advocates for the starting salary in education to be aligned with the gross average salary for beginners, with positions such as CSII/CSI treated on par with conference and professor roles. These changes were initially agreed upon during the 2023 strikes and have been partially incorporated into legal norms and the Government Program. President statements at the time also emphasized the financial stimulation of teaching personnel.
Looking further ahead, the minister sets ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030: allocating 1% of Romania's GDP to research and 15% of the consolidated general budget (expenditure side) to education. These goals reflect a long-term vision to elevate the quality and impact of research and education nationally.
However, Daniel David is candid about the financial realities and the need for "paradigmatic efficiencies" in the system. He stresses that any economic and financial streamlining must be guided by two principles: rationality, benchmarked against European standards and best practices, and decency, considering what the country can currently bear. Among the measures under consideration is a significant restructuring of the scholarship system, which has seen a spectacular, yet unsustainable, increase in recent years.
Currently, annual expenses on scholarships reach approximately 7 billion RON, nearly a quarter of Romania's national deficit and exceeding the entire budget allocated for research, development, and innovation. To address this, the minister proposes maintaining only two categories of scholarships: social scholarships, which include support for young mothers, and merit scholarships capped at 15% of a class, with a minimum grade requirement of 9. Scholarships will be awarded solely for the duration students are actively engaged in the educational process. Furthermore, where legislation ties scholarships to the minimum wage, the calculation will be based on the net salary rather than the gross, since scholarships are tax-exempt.
Social scholarships are to be distributed through local social assistance authorities, following a methodology developed by the Ministry of Education and Research. This approach aims to correctly define and protect the concepts of inclusion and merit, ensuring that students in need receive social support while high achievers are rewarded within sustainable limits.
In terms of teaching workload, Daniel David intends to propose that teaching norms established by law may be increased by up to two hours based on criteria such as workload fragmentation, working environment, seniority, and the number of students with special educational needs in a class. Seniority-related reductions will be deducted from non-teaching time. Leadership roles will receive roughly 30% reductions in teaching hours, differentiated by responsibility, and generally cannot be combined with hourly pay.
Hourly pay rates will be calculated relative to a standard 40-hour workweek, ensuring that hourly-paid work does not exceed the value of an hour within the standard teaching norm. In higher education, the current limit of 16 equivalent hours will be raised to 18 to help universities manage within their allocated budgets.
Moreover, the minister plans to increase both the minimum and maximum number of students per class within psychopedagogical and administrative limits. Additionally, to encourage reform in rural education, the minimum number of students required for an educational unit to have legal personality will also be raised. These adjustments will be accompanied by efforts to develop and modernize educational infrastructure, a vital component for the success of these reforms.
Daniel David’s path to the ministry was not one of ambition but of duty. He candidly shared that he did not seek the ministerial role initially, having left important projects in Cluj-Napoca to respond to the country's call during a complex situation. This second term as minister came as a responsibility linked to the coalition's commitment to the QX Report as a major reform initiative in education and research. Invited by the Prime Minister and the National Liberal Party (PNL), he accepted the role to help overcome the crisis and seize a rare window of opportunity to address long-standing systemic issues.
He framed his mandate under two guiding principles, "Per Aspera Ad Astra" (through hardships to the stars) and "Sapere Aude" (dare to know), echoing Kant’s idea of "the starry sky above me and the moral law within me." He expressed confidence that with rationality and morality, even through the difficulties of the current crisis, Romania can achieve the desired improvements in its education system.
As the country awaits the detailed presentation of the reform calendar on June 26, 2025, Daniel David’s commitment to sacrifice and reform signals a determined effort to stabilize and modernize Romanian education. His willingness to endure criticism and make personal sacrifices highlights the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for pragmatic, yet humane, solutions.
While the road ahead is undoubtedly challenging, the minister’s comprehensive plan and ethical stance offer a beacon of hope that Romania’s education system will emerge stronger and more resilient from its current trials.
