Diaspora children face language barrier in Romanian schools

Thousands of Romanian children returning from abroad are finding it hard to rejoin their home country's school system, where the language itself often becomes the biggest obstacle. According to a recent report by Digi24, nearly 9,000 pupils have been reintegrated into Romanian schools over the past three years, and the adaptation is far from smooth.

Many of these children have spent most of their lives in Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom, speaking a different language at home and at school. When they come back, they understand everyday Romanian but struggle with academic vocabulary, writing and dictation. One teenager who lived in the UK from age three said that dictation was particularly difficult because such exercises are not common in British schools. Another student, who spent 12 years in Madrid, described the return as entering "a completely different world".

At the Colonel Constantin Langa Secondary School in Miroslava, Iași County, 17 children have returned from abroad in recent years. Head teacher Diana Deliu says the language barrier is real: pupils understand Romanian but find it hard to express themselves, write fluently and follow lessons. Teachers note that these children may become overwhelmed, needing extra effort to cope.

Experts argue that dedicated support is essential. The Romanian Academy's Gabriela Haja suggests training teachers to teach Romanian as a foreign language. With almost 20,000 children enrolling in state schools over the last two years after returning with their parents, the need for tailored programmes is growing. Without such measures, the adjustment may take longer, affecting both academic performance and social integration.