The Romanian community in the United Kingdom is urged to support introducing Romanian as an examination subject in the British education system. Campaign organisers are encouraging interested people to register their support to demonstrate genuine demand for the qualification.
The initiative was promoted at a meeting held on 12 October at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, organised by Tessa Dunlop and the Beyond Romania CIC team in partnership with the Romanian Embassy in the United Kingdom.
Laura Popescu, Romania’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Ruslan Bolbocean, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova; and Gareth Thomas, Member of Parliament for Harrow West and Chair of the parliamentary group for Romania, attended the meeting.
Strengthening the presence of the Romanian language
The Romanian Embassy highlighted the importance of officially recognising Romanian children’s mother tongue within the British examination system.
It noted that efforts towards this goal began in 2021 through discussions with British authorities and examination bodies.
“Introducing a Romanian-language GCSE would be a natural step towards strengthening the presence of Romanian in the British education system,” the Romanian Embassy in the United Kingdom stated.
The campaign also has the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova.
Ambassador Ruslan Bolbocean emphasised the importance of introducing the examination for the younger generation and the contribution such a qualification could make to strengthening relations between the Republic of Moldova, Romania and the United Kingdom.
The second most widely spoken language in England
The organisers want pupils who speak Romanian at home to have the opportunity to gain an officially recognised qualification within the British education system.
“We are campaigning to give Romanian pupils in the United Kingdom the opportunity to take a GCSE in Romanian. We want the language they speak at home, the language of their parents and grandparents, to be recognised and valued at school as well,” the campaign organisers stated.
According to the Romanian Embassy in the United Kingdom, Romanian is the second most widely spoken language in England and Wales. Mobilising the community is therefore considered important in demonstrating concrete interest in introducing the new qualification.
Meanwhile, some British state schools offer Romanian Language, Culture and Civilisation courses with support from the Romanian Government.
The Romanian state also funds Romanian-language lectureships at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
Those wishing to support the initiative can register their interest here.
The campaign’s official website provides further information on introducing Romanian as an examination subject in the British education system.
