Transitioning from the old teaching style to the new ethics is hard to accomplish in Eastern Europe. In Romania, it is even more difficult to do so with conniving garbage at the helm of the government. And if you’re wondering, the PP in title stands for Plagiarizing Ponta.

Since, for the previous government, I wrote about “theatre in the times of bocholera”, it’s only natural to discuss education under the new government, especially since despite their abysmal showing in PISA standardized tests, Romanian students managed to recently win first place in Math Olympics.

A recent study has found that the exclusively breastfeeding rate is among the lowest in Europe, at 12.6%; it’s lower even than the global average, at 32.6%. Among the benefits of breastfeeding is a reduction in infant mortality (also among the highest in Europe in Romania) and less infections/colic. The main impediment to more ~ is that fact that mothers see it as a chore / punishment that forces upon them even more privations. I can’t help wondering if this lack of breastfeeding isn’t one of the factors that make Romanians so neurotic and prone to conflict.

But even though the rate of breastfeeding is one third of the global average, the apparent rate of gifted children is, apparently, twice the worldwide average.

It is truly a miracle that against all odds, with some of the lowest paid teachers in Europe, with a constantly changing curriculum and a corrupt, expired, crumbling and shrinking education infrastructure, with a plagiarizing prime-minister that pushes under a huge question mark all the Romanian diplomas, some kids manage to graduate high-school, and quite a few win Gold medals in international competitions (matematica 2009, 2012, interview, Moldova; geografie; Japonia; Fizica; Bac).

Let us continue on with Bac Factory.

Sources / More info: ec-ro-olympics, hn-alapt, somafm-habarnam, adv-masterat, jb-breastfeeding, hn-olimp, hn-info, hn-chiul