Romanian PM Threatens To Sack Education Minister Unless She Pulls School Mgmt Order

Boc said he spoke to the education minister on the phone and asked her to cancel the order and added Andronescu assured him the act would not be applied.

"I have asked the education minister to block the application of this order and I want to make it clear that, if this order is applied and school principals are replaced by order of the education minister, the education minister will be dismissed," Boc said.

Boc said the order, which leaves school management appointments up to the ministry instead of local school inspectorates, is completely opposite to the principles agreed on and promoted in the law on education, for which the government asked the Parliament's vote of confidence.

Asked whether he gave the minister a deadline to cancel the act, Boc reiterated his decision is very clear.

"If she enforces the order, she goes, because that is a sheer violation of the governing program and the law on education. There is no room for negotiation here," Boc underscored.

The prime minister added that as soon as the law on education becomes effective, the education minister should hurry and issue the additional acts allowing schools to make up their management boards and appoint their managers. He also said he hopes the law will be published in the Official Gazette by October 1.

On Thursday, the prime minister avoided a straight answer when asked whether he would dismiss Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu over the order she passed.

"Reshuffles are done, not discussed beforehand," Boc answered when reporters questioned him on his plans with the education minister, adding the activity of each minister is evaluated by the government.

At the same time, he declined to answer a question on whether Andronescu's activity has been evaluated and whether he is pleased with the result.

Andronescu issued an order Wednesday that bans school inspectorates from appointing school principals and assistants and stipulates that school managers will be appointed at the proposition of the managing boards of school inspectorates.

Order no. 5139/16.09.2009 of the education minister repeals the provisions of the education staff law that empowered general school inspectors to appoint school managers. The order also stipulates that all appointments to management positions within schools, for the 2009- 2010 school year, made by school inspectorates, will be terminated starting September 16, 2009.

Andronescu told MEDIAFAX Thursday she passed the order to make sure school inspectors don't appoint school managers on political criteria.

Romanian democrat liberal lawmaker Mircea Toader, leader of the democrat liberal group in the Chamber of Deputies, said Thursday he calls on Prime Minister Emil Boc to dismiss the education minister unless she pulls the order, which he deemed outright illegal and said it disregards the principles agreed for the education sector in the country's ruling coalition.

"She had the nerve to pass an order that over-centralizes the power of decision. In other words, a school principal or kindergarten manager in who knows what village should be appointed by the minister," Toader said.

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