Iohannis: This summer we will have the first competitions for management positions at schools

President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that changes of school principals were made "in a hurry," adding that the first competitions for these positions will take place this summer and that he will see at that time if the principle of meritocracy is followed.

"I have been following these issues, it is an action that was not prepared in time by the Ministry of Education, because it was known that the terms of office of the school principals ends on January 9 at thousands of schools. Now, of course, some terms have been extended, others shortened terms pending competition, and I think we will be able to talk about a normal Romania and the 'Educated Romania' programme only after we end this pandemic, return to normal, hold the contest as it is written for all these positions, and then all things will return to normal. What has been done now is provisional, in a hurry, tenures have been extended or given to new people for probably a few months. I suspect that somewhere this summer we will already have the first competitions for these management positions, and then I will be watching very carefully how the principle of meritocracy is followed in these matters," Iohannis told a news conference at the Cotroeni Presidential Palace.

He was asked if he was aware of principals being replaced at schools and high schools across Romania.