Chernivtsi Region | Romanian Community Calls for the Preservation of the Network of Romanian-Language High Schools Amid Ukraine’s Education Reform

High School Education Reform and Romanian-Language Education at the Center of Discussions

Representatives of the Romanian community in the Chernivtsi region are calling for Ukraine’s high school education reform not to result in a reduction of the network of institutions where education is provided in Romanian. During a meeting with regional authorities held on August 11, they called for the preservation of existing institutions and the identification of solutions compatible with European standards on mother-tongue education.

The meeting followed earlier discussions within a working group dedicated to reorganizing the high school education system and aligning educational reform with Ukraine’s European integration process. Representatives of the regional administration also attended the meeting, including Oksana Hryniuk, Acting Director of the Department of Education and Science.

Romanian Community Calls for the Preservation of the Entire School Network

According to Aurica Bojescu, Secretary General of the Interregional Union “Romanian Community in Ukraine,” the discussions addressed the main risks that the reorganization of the high school education system could pose to the Romanian community.

The request concerns all educational institutions providing instruction in Romanian, including schools that currently have high school-level classes. There are more than 30 such institutions in the Chernivtsi region, and the community believes that the reform should be assessed across the entire education system rather than only in relation to several high schools.

Bojescu argues that the reorganization should not be implemented hastily and proposes postponing the reform for Romanian communities until its effects can be assessed at the national level.

“We are not asking for new schools to be opened, but for the institutions that already exist to be preserved. This is about maintaining access to education in the mother tongue and avoiding any regression in the network of high schools serving our communities,” the community representative said.

Romania Presented as a Model of Best Practice

The meeting also addressed Romania’s educational model regarding the protection of national minority rights. The example was presented in the context of the situation of the Ukrainian community in Romania.

Nicolae-Miroslav Petrețchi, Member of the Romanian Parliament representing the Ukrainian minority and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania, described the Romanian system as a benchmark of best practices at European and international level.

Among the key elements highlighted were the constitutional guarantee of the right to education in the mother tongue, the representation of minorities in public institutions, financial support for minority communities, and institutional dialogue between authorities and minority organizations.

One example is the possibility of organizing groups for studying the Ukrainian language even in localities where the number of pupils is small. Children from several schools can thus be brought together into a single group at the request of parents and the community’s representative organization.

European Solutions for Schools with Small Enrollments

Aurica Bojescu believes that Ukraine’s rapprochement with the European Union should not lead to a reduction in the educational rights of national minorities. In this context, she proposes maintaining a functional network of Romanian-language high schools in the Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia and Odesa regions.

For institutions that do not meet the minimum number of pupils required by law, the community representative believes that European and international funding sources could be identified to cover additional costs.

The localities of Boian and Karapciu were cited in this regard. More than 400 pupils study in Boian, yet the locality is not included in the new high school network, while in Karapciu, where there are fewer than 300 pupils, the costs of maintaining the high school cycle could also be covered through external funding.

The Situation of Pupils in Ropcea

Another concern is the situation of pupils in Ropcea, a locality with a Romanian-majority population. If the high school cycle is no longer available locally starting in September 2027, pupils would have to commute to Storozhynets to continue their education.

The community believes that such an arrangement does not meet the needs of Romanian pupils, particularly given that the destination locality would not have Romanian-language classes. Representatives of the Romanian community are calling for pupils to be guaranteed the right to continue their education in their mother tongue within their own communities.

Separate Legal Status as a Challenge for Rural Areas

The discussions also addressed the provision requiring primary schools, gymnasiums and high schools to have separate legal status, separate administrations and operate in distinct buildings.

According to representatives of the Romanian community, this requirement is difficult to implement in rural areas, where school buildings were designed to accommodate all levels of education and local authorities do not have additional premises available.

In this context, the community is calling for exceptions to be introduced for rural localities and for institutions where education is provided in the languages of national minorities.

Concerns over the Expansion of the Bilingual Education Model

Another issue discussed was the implementation of pilot bilingual education projects, including at the “Alexandru Ilschi” High School in Krasna, with the possibility of subsequently extending the project to Chudei.

The Romanian community warns that transforming institutions providing full-time education in Romanian into bilingual high schools could affect the continuity of mother-tongue education and the long-term interests of the community.

Community representatives stressed that if there are pupils who wish to study in Ukrainian, solutions can be identified for them without transforming Romanian-language schools into bilingual institutions.

Romanian Pupils’ Results in the Ukrainian Language

Aurica Bojescu cited the example of a pupil from Stănești, Chernivtsi region, who achieved the maximum score of 200 points in an independent assessment in the Ukrainian language.

In her view, the result demonstrates that pupils attending Romanian-language schools can achieve a very high level of proficiency in the state language under the current educational model as well.

Call for Legislation to Be Harmonized with European Standards

Community representatives believe that amendments are needed not only to education legislation but also to the action plan concerning European integration, so that these frameworks are aligned with constitutional provisions and European standards on minority rights.

Regarding Romania’s request to postpone the implementation of the high school reform for Romanian-language schools by two years, Bojescu believes that this period could be used to assess the reform’s effects and identify a solution that would allow the system to be reorganized without adversely affecting national minority communities.

“European integration must be built, first and foremost, by taking into account the interests of local communities, not only on the basis of national agendas that do not reflect realities on the ground,” she emphasized.

The community representative also pointed out that although pupils in Romanian-language schools have recently gained the right to take national graduation examinations in Romanian, the Ministry of Education’s platform still does not provide sufficient textbooks, preparation materials or pilot tests in Romanian.

The New High School Network in the Chernivtsi Region

In the initial version of the academic high school network, approved in October 2025, four high schools providing full-time education in Romanian and nine mixed institutions were planned.

The Romanian-language high schools were planned in Chernivtsi and in the municipalities of Hlyboka, Ostrytia and Hertsa. At the same time, mixed high schools were planned in Mahala, Tarashany, Novoselytsia, Hlyboka, Krasna, Pătrăuții de Jos, Storozhynets, Chudei and Mamalyha.

The initial configuration raised concerns because several localities with a long-standing tradition of Romanian-language education risked being left without high school classes in the mother tongue.

Four Romanian-Language High Schools Included in the Updated List

On July 16, 2026, the Chernivtsi Regional Council revised the network of institutions that will provide high school education. The updated list includes four institutions providing education in Romanian: the Voloka High School, the “Grigore Nandriș” High School in Mahala, the Ostrytia High School and the “Mihai Eminescu” High School in Karapciu.

The total number of institutions that will provide high school education in the region increased from 59 to 65. However, representatives of the Romanian community believe that expanding the list does not resolve all outstanding concerns.

Their requests concern the preservation of all Romanian-language educational institutions currently operating, including those that already have a high school cycle.

Romanian Schools on the Bucharest–Kyiv Bilateral Agenda

The preservation of Romanian-language educational institutions is also on the agenda of bilateral dialogue between Romania and Ukraine.

On July 15, 2026, during talks in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Romanian President Nicușor Dan emphasized the need to identify solutions for preserving Romanian schools in Ukraine, including those offering high school education.

Earlier, during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Bucharest on March 12, 2026, the Romanian side proposed postponing the implementation of the reform for Romanian-language institutions by two years, allowing solutions to be identified through bilateral dialogue.

Following the August 11 meeting, regional authorities announced that they would continue to assess the situation in localities where parents are requesting the preservation or establishment of high schools. The dialogue will continue, taking into account the interests of the Romanian community and pupils’ right to access education in their mother tongue, in accordance with European principles and standards.