World News for Students of English

11-02-2026 07:00

Thousands of Romanian teachers and education staff protested against government plans to cut education funding.

The government, led by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, approved austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit. They include a 10% cut in the salary fund for public institutions, which teachers say will harm schools and universities.

Protesters argued that education already receives less money, and university leaders warned that these cuts will limit development and research. Some compared Romania to Ukraine, where education spending has increased even during the war, and questioned why Romania does the opposite. Teachers’ unions have threatened to strike if the measures go ahead. They also started a petition to collect 100,000 signatures to repeal the government plans. The new budget with these measures will be sent to parliament by 20 February, and unions may announce strike dates for March or June.

Difficult words: austerity (a time when the government cuts spending to save money), deficit (a situation when the government spends more money than it has), repeal (to cancel a law or rule).

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