“Starting in September 2026, we plan to introduce grades in fourth grade for all students. As a reminder, this new approach was piloted throughout the 2025 school year: grading is being phased back into fourth grade, and we are nearing a final decision. This week, we discussed the results of the pilot program, areas that still required adjustments, and support measures for elementary school teachers in connection with this transition. “Starting next week, we will have an official document establishing that grades will return to fourth grade starting in September 2026,” said Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun.
The transition from a descriptive grading system (“very good,” “good,” “satisfactory”) to traditional grades in the final year of elementary school is intended to ease students’ transition to the gymnasium level (fifth grade), where assessment is conducted exclusively using numerical grades.
A study previously conducted in 268 schools showed that a sudden transition to a 10-point grading system in middle school causes stress and adjustment difficulties for children. The phased introduction of these grades is intended to prepare students for this change.
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