Adriana Dobrea, United Way: “Romanian students’ reading skills are declining, and action is needed. United Way Romania is implementing a literacy program for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds”

• PISA results show that 48% of 15-year-old students in Romania do not reach the minimum proficiency level in reading
• Although the results are concerning, they can be improved through an integrated and sustained intervention that responds to children’s needs while also helping build a support network capable of providing them with the assistance they need in the long term
• Over the past five years, 2,628 children from disadvantaged backgrounds have participated in consistent literacy activities and received a warm meal through United Way Romania’s “Aventură prin lectură” (“Reading Adventure”) program
• This year, the organization is continuing the program and is looking for 1,000 recurring donors

The 2025 PISA results, published by the OECD, show that Romania continues to face a major challenge in education: 48% of 15-year-old pupils do not reach the minimum proficiency level in reading, 52% in mathematics, and 46% in science, with all three percentages higher than in 2022. In addition, the gap between pupils in urban and rural areas reaches almost 100 PISA points, highlighting the need to provide children with equitable access to learning opportunities.

At the same time, 77% of Romanian students say they are curious, above the OECD average of 73%, showing an openness to knowledge and discovery. For United Way Romania Foundation, this openness has been and remains a starting point: through its educational programs, the organization creates contexts in which children can turn curiosity into learning, skills and confidence.

A pupil may be able to read all the words and still not understand what they are being asked

The OECD shows that Romanian pupils’ reading performance made no progress between 2012 and 2022. In PISA 2022, approximately 42% of Romanian teenagers did not reach the minimum proficiency level in reading.

When learning difficulties emerge in the early years of school and they are not addressed, they carry over from one subject to another and from one school year to the next. For a child from a vulnerable family, a lack of books at home, limited access to additional educational activities and, in some cases, the absence of an adult who can provide consistent support can deepen educational inequalities over time and make the child’s educational journey increasingly difficult.

United Way Romania intervenes as early as primary school

United Way Romania created the “Aventură prin lectură” (“Reading Adventure”) program in 2021, dedicated to developing literacy skills among children from vulnerable communities. The idea behind the program is simple: the earlier we intervene, the more we reduce the risk of school dropout among children from disadvantaged backgrounds and give them the chance to a better future.

The initiative starts in primary school, at a time when reading and comprehension skills are still developing and when closing educational gaps can change a child’s entire educational trajectory.

United Way works simultaneously with children, teachers and families so that literacy challenges can be addressed in an integrated way.

Children take part in activities that help them move beyond simply decoding a text towards understanding and using information. Teachers receive professional training to support the development of pupils’ literacy skills, while parents are involved so that reading and learning can also be supported outside school.

“In the communities where we work, we see something that a national statistic cannot capture: the moment when a child who used to avoid reading a passage aloud in class starts raising their hand, asking questions, talking about what they understood or choosing a book on their own. Literacy is not just about achieving better results on a test; it is about autonomy, confidence and having the opportunity to continue learning,” says Adriana Dobrea, Executive Director of United Way Romania.

“Aventură prin lectură”: from opening a book to understanding the world

“Aventură prin lectură” (“Reading Adventure”) program was launched by United Way Romania to prevent and combat the risk of functional illiteracy among children experiencing vulnerability. The first edition involved 180 children from three vulnerable schools and 23 trained teachers. Since then, the program has expanded to communities in several counties and it is implemented together with partner organizations and schools.

Since the launch of “Aventură prin lectură” to date, the program has reached 44 communities in 14 counties, with 2,628 unique direct child beneficiaries, alongside 1,480 parents and 94 trained teachers. In schools where dedicated reading spaces have been created, the project’s impact extends to 14,936 children, direct and indirect beneficiaries of the program. Each community has been equipped with new and engaging books, reading clubs have been established, and teachers have received training, contributing to the program’s long-term sustainability and impact.

As a result of the project activities, children have improved their reading, text comprehension and information interpretation skills, developing their ability to use reading as a tool for learning and exploring the world around them.

In “Aventură prin lectură” clubs, reading can become a game, a dramatization, a collaborative story, a comic strip, a prediction exercise or a discussion about the connection between a text and the child’s own experience. The methods are designed specifically to help children move from “I can read the text” to “I understand what it says, I can talk about it and I can use the information.” This is the difference that PISA measures several years later.

United Way launches a fundraising campaign: the problem is national, but change can start with one child

Following the publication of the new PISA results, United Way Romania is launching the fundraising campaign:

Every book opens a path. Give them a chance at education!

Through the campaign, the organization is inviting companies and individual donors to contribute to changing the worrying statistics.

The campaign’s message starts from a simple reality: PISA can tell us how many teenagers do not understand what they read, but every one of those teenagers could have received support as early as primary school.

“We can use today’s PISA results to change something before the next assessment. A child who learns today to understand what they read, tomorrow will have the chance to learn independently, make informed decisions and build their own path. For this, we need teachers, parents, organizations, companies and donors who choose to work together,” concludes Adriana Dobrea, Executive Director of United Way Romania.

People who would like to support the program can find all the details here: United Way Romania – Fiecare carte deschide un drum. Oferă-le o șansă la educație!

Companies can get involved by funding one or more communities, making donations or sponsorships, and supporting employee volunteering programs.

About United Way Romania

United Way Romania is a Romanian foundation affiliated with United Way Worldwide, USA. Its work focuses on three areas that support thriving communities: education, health and socio-economic integration. United Way acts as a community mobilizer, bringing together NGOs, companies, public institutions, donors and volunteers to create sustainable collective impact.

In 2024, the foundation celebrated 20 years of activity in Romania, having supported more than 100,000 people experiencing vulnerability over the years.