The Ministry of Education announces two new electives at the gymnasium, “to prepare” students “better for life”
Students on their way to school. Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea
The Minister of Education, Daniel David, approved the school programs for the electives as new subjects in the curriculum at the student's decision in the school offer, for the subjects “Elements of digital media education” (6th grade) and “Education for life: choose! act! inspire!” (grades V – VII), according to the announcement made by the ministry on Monday.
Daniel David says that “both disciplines target fundamental skills for today's world”.
“I would love for students to choose as many of them as possible! In terms of digital media education, this initiative is being introduced for the first time at the middle school level and is thus an adaptation of the school to the challenges that children are subjected to in the world we live in, but it also prepares the prerequisites for the digital media discipline that already exists at the high school level (and which will also be preserved in the new curriculum change at the high school level),” he said he, quoted in the ministry's press release.
In the case of education for life, the official stated that “the program updates existing contents at the secondary school level and anticipates the new contents of this type, introduced through the reform of the curriculum at the high school level”.
Optional details “Elements of digital media education”
The Ministry of Education explained that the curriculum for this optional “aims to train two essential skills, given that young people and children are exposed daily to an increasing volume of information from the digital environment, and social networks and online content influence their way of thinking, communicating and understanding the world:
- Managing interaction with the media using the principles of democratic citizenship, both for expressing one's ideas through various types of media and for the responsible use of digital technologies;
- The critical-reflexive analysis of the interaction with media and digital technologies, with the aim of understanding their influence and effects in relation to oneself, as a receiver, and to society.”.
About the optional “Education for Life: Choose! Act! Inspire!”
According to the ministry, in the case of this optional discipline, the curriculum “is organized as follows:
- Fifth Grade – I Choose!: self-knowledge, identifying and ranking values, basing decisions on healthy personal principles;
- 6th Grade – I Act!: turning intentions into deeds, assuming personal responsibility, collaboration and perseverance;
- 7th Grade – I Inspire!: developing positive influence, collaborative leadership, resilience and courage in the face of challenges.”.
The institution said the elective involves “interactive activities (case studies, role-plays, projects, artistic creation exercises and written reflections)” and its curriculum “aims to support the integrated development of four major content areas:
- Self-knowledge and personal values;
- Emotional and social development – from intention to action and personal responsibility;
- Leadership – positive influence and collaboration;
- Resilience and adaptation to challenges.”.
The Ministry of Education said that “the discipline promotes a pedagogy of experience and action, designed to encourage students to discover the power of responsible decision-making, the courage of action and the joy of inspiring change in their community.”
“In this way, the curriculum contributes to shaping the profile of the secondary school graduate as an autonomous, responsible, involved person and capable of leading by example,” the statement added.
The institution specified that the programs were made in collaboration with the Center for Independent Journalism (“Elements of digital media education”), respectively the Maxwell Association (“Education for life: choose! act! inspire!”), being available on the website of the National Center for Curriculum and Evaluation.
