„The History of Communism in Romania” becomes a mandatory subject in Romanian schools starting from the academic year 2025 – 2026.
The Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, says that all high school students will study the subject The History of Communism in Romania, a course dedicated to the 12th and 13th grades in evening and part-time education.
„Nostalgia for sad times has complex causes, but one of the most important of these causes is the lack of knowledge of historical facts. The phenomenon is worrying, especially as it seems to be present across different age groups, including among young people who have not even lived a day under the communist regime, some being born even after Romania’s accession to NATO or the European Union. (…)
This subject is dedicated to students in the 12th grade in full-time education, and the 13th grade in evening and part-time education. In other words, all high school students in Romania will study this discipline.
Furthermore, the subject will not be "a judgment of one or the other," but will explain to students what happened, inviting them to critical reflection.
"You will ask us why the introduction of a discipline specifically dedicated to the history of communism in Romania was necessary. (...) First of all, the current context confirms that we need our students to know and understand the events that shaped the past and still mark the present. We have a duty in schools and universities to combat ignorance and manipulation resulting from a lack of historical knowledge.
Inadequate knowledge or even the lack of knowledge of historical facts from the communist regime period allows for distortions that can influence social behavior and, as we have seen, electoral behavior. Additionally, these lessons are for the future," added the Minister of Education.
In her opinion, studying the subject primarily aims at critical thinking, civic reflection, and historical empathy.
"It is a lesson about the fragility of freedom and about how through indifference or sometimes complicity stemming from ignorance, evil can become banal... We hope that students will understand that democratic values and human rights should never be taken for granted and that any deviation can have tragic consequences," concluded Ligia Deca.