Carrying out the educational process remotely

The People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights was notified by children and parents regarding the organization of the remote learning process established during the emergency period.

Reaction of the Children’s Ombudsman:

In an approach sent to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, the People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights draws the attention of the MECR to several aspects that depend on the good conduct of the remote learning process: the degree of assurance with the necessary means of both the teachers who communicate the information, as well as the students, who must have the conditions for receiving it; the level of knowledge of the teachers of information / communication technologies and if they have the corresponding skills and abilities to respond to the requirements of the remote learning; the access of all students and parents / legal representatives to the respective means, access to the Internet; how the right to education of children who do not have the necessary means is ensured; the record of students who are or are not involved in the remote learning process; clarification of how remote learning is carried out for children with Special Educational Requirements who need an individualized program and permanent assistance from the support teacher, but also how the right to education of the children who are held in detention or isolation institutions of criminal prosecution is realized; the volume of homework proposed by the teachers, which are not adapted to the students’ capacities and needs and which increase the period of the children in front of the computer and increase the children’ stress state.

 The Children’s Ombudsman recommends MECR to waive candidates’ pre-examination for national graduation exams, examination session 2020. Maia Banarescu also proposes to elaborate tests for graduation exams for students in 9th and 12th grades only based on the material taught until March 2, 2020.

At the same time, in an approach on behalf of the director of the National Prison Administration, the Children’s Ombudsman recommended that measures be taken to ensure the right to education of children in detention. Thus, the People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights recommended the establishment of an online group, on one of the existing communication applications (Viber, Skype, WhatsApp), between the administration of the penitentiaries where there are children and teachers who come to attend the academic courses in detention facilities.

Referring to the restrictions on the visits of relatives of juvenile detainees and detainees with children aged 0-3 years in the penitentiary institutions, the People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights  proposed as a reward measure, the increase of the number of telephone calls insured from the NPA account and ensuring calls through the Viber, Skype or Messenger networks of juvenile detainees with their relatives outside, as far as possible.