Are we european students?

We, the Europeans, don't split just a mainland, we also have a commune history.
European languages show our history: a lot of words speaken in the EU have commune roots
in old greek and in latin.
Unfortunately, we can't say the same thing about the school system from Romania and
the European one. We, the Romanian students, so-called europeans, don't benefit of the same
conditions in schools.
In England, students choose their matters depending on their preference. The methods
of teaching are creative and they attract the students' attention. In Romania, the students have
a lot of homework and they don't like learning. They are forced to learn too much useless
information, a lot of them will not help them in their lives. They study two times more than
the european students do.
The European teachers encourage creativity. Before the start of the year, the european
students choose what they want to study. The school books are free and so are the notebooks,
pencils and other materials. The classes have less students. The classes are dotated with
computers, printers, projectors. Instead, the Romanian students are forced to bring money
from their homes to buy the necesary materials at the class.
In spite of all these flows, the Romanian educational system has its positive aspects,
too. I think it still has good and dedicated teachers, who try to make learning fun and
attractive for students, fighting against the corrupt system. What I consider to be very hard for
those few teachers who love their job is that people are turned against them by the less
educated or by the political parties. This doesn't happen in other European countries, where
the teacher's salary is higher and his word is respected. I am sure that, in other countries, as in
Romania, there are unprepared teachers, but that doen't mean that people should generalise
and speak bad about every person who works in education.
In conclusion, the romanian school system is totally different from the european one.
I hope that in the near future the Romanian students will be european not just on a piece of
paper. I hope that the Roman people will remember that, without education, our country will

be distroyed, controlled and manipulated by other nations which don't always want our good.
I really hope that we, Romanians, would stop buildinf so many huge churches whici, in my
oppinion, have nothing to do wirh God. I sincerely prefer to pray in a small church, made of
wood. In church we don't need special conditions to pray. But in schools, we need conditions
to live, to eat, to learn. Can you imagine that children spend some good hours, each day, at
school, but the rulers of this countru say that there ae no money for schools, for education?!
But still...there are money for lots of churches, malls, blocks of flats and other buildings
which aren't necessary. I think that Romania could be an European country if it would change
its priorities, if real values would be promoted. Romania has valuable people: writers,
inventors, smart children, itists, talented people. Unfortunately, only the less educated are put
forth, so they have started to rule the general oppinion.
I am just a child, but I understand that Romania should take as example other
European countries, but not as a whole. I think that our country should choose only the
positive aspects seen at others: better conditions in schools, more motivating salaries for
teachers, a programme which highlights practice more than theory. But we should not addopt
violence, the lack of faith in God, we should never forget our traditions and promote them in
school. Each of us was or still is in school. School is so important, so I can't believe that it is
promoted in such a negative way nowadays.
We will be European students when the rulers of our country will consider us that we
are worth their effort to invest more in our education. Untill then, we are left to fight alone,
without any real support. Let's hope for better things in the future!

-Lungu Alexandru, 12 years, fifth grade