Teachers may not teach anything to students after September 9. Education unions have initiated a referendum through which education employees will decide whether to boycott teaching activities starting from the second day of school.
According to a document sent by the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education (FSLI) and the Federation of Education Unions „Spiru Haret” to all branches and consulted by Edupedu.ro, teachers must respond nominally if they agree to boycott teaching activities starting from September 9.
The unions specify the dissatisfactions of the education staff:
1) Increase in teaching workload by 2-4 hours;
2) Merging of hundreds of educational units;
3) Increase in the number of preschoolers/students per group/class;
4) More than half reduction in the hourly payment rate;
5) Increased responsibilities for school principals and inspectors;
Thus, education employees demand the resignation of the Minister of Education and the repeal of "measures that destroy the educational system instituted by Law 141/2025."
"In the event that the authorities remain indifferent to our demands, we propose the following form of protest: Boycotting teaching activities starting from September 9, 2025," the document transmitted by FSLI and the "Spiru Haret" Federation states.
Attached to the federations' address is a table for teachers to sign.
National protest on the first day of school
Therefore, it remains to be seen whether teachers will decide to boycott teaching activities after September 9.
It is certain that on September 8, the first day of school, a national protest will take place, with 30,000 teachers expected to participate.
"The opening of the school year will take place for the first time in Romania in the last 35 years, in front of Victoria Palace, Cotroceni Palace, and prefectures," announced Simion Hancescu, the president of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education (FSLI) on Friday.
After the Economic and Social Council meeting, where approval is needed for the second package of fiscal measures, he stated that he clearly conveyed to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan that the most affected sector is the educational system.
"I clearly told the Prime Minister: the most affected sector is the educational system. I didn't go into many details, I explained that there are situations where, as a result of these measures, there will be children walking long distances, even through bear-inhabited areas. (...) Also, haphazard mergers, schools merged just 5 km apart. This is no longer management. What are you saving? 300 lei when, in fact, if you move, you need to appoint a deputy director? That's all you "save" from a merger.
And I clearly told the Prime Minister that it is evident that we will not sit idly by. The educational system will be disrupted in the next school year because there will be continuous protests. I clearly told him: the opening of the school year will take place for the first time in Romania in the last 35 years, in front of Victoria Palace, Cotroceni Palace, and prefectures. It will be a school year opening different from what has been done so far," the union leader mentioned.