Romanians want money, not education

After the make-up examinations in September a total of 69 percent of Romanian secondary school students have passed their leaving exams this year, compared with 80 percent the year before. Quick money is more important to young Romanians than education, writes the daily Adevărul: "In the past two decades the idea has become lodged in people's (and children's!) minds that you don't need so many books but you do have to make money. ... A growing number of pupils as well as parents have begun to see schools and universities as mere services: so long as they hand out the diplomas, we can take care of ourselves. ... This perception exists not only among children ... but has spread to society as a whole. In people's eyes the winners of the political transformation are the 'cunning ones' who knew how to make money. It will be very difficult for us to free ourselves of this distorted view. And by the same token it will be difficult for people to understand that a university education is the best investment one can make."

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