Almost half of middle school students do not want to continue their high school studies, according to a study conducted by World Vision Romania. Thus, four out of ten middle school students do not want to go to high school, but opt for a job, family work or qualification courses. In addition, the time spent by high school students from home to the educational institution would also be a problem.
41% of middle school children drop out of high school and 2 out of 10 children (19%) from rural areas are never helped with homework, because they live in families where most adults have a maximum of 8 completed grades, according to the foundation. Approximately half of high school students travel more than an hour round trip to school, according to the report “Wellbeing of Children in Rural Areas”, 2024, World Vision Romania.
At the same time, 49% of parents declare themselves dissatisfied with the academic progress made by their children in the last year of school. Therefore, World Vision Romania launched the “Education for Wellbeing” project in 2025, within the “I Want to be in 9th Grade” program, with the aim of reducing inequality of opportunities for students from rural areas, in order to continue their studies and achieve their maximum potential for personal and professional development.
The program included 110 students from 90 rural communities in 12 counties, who participated in various educational activities.
In addition to non-formal activities (workshops, webinars), individual sessions, workshops and focus groups will be added with the aim of counseling on mental health and well-being, personal development and sustainable development, together with their parents and teachers. “Through the “I want to be in 9th grade” program, World Vision Romania outlines a specific context for non-formal education, learning, development and civic and social involvement for adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering them the chance to continue their high school studies,” said Mihaela Nabăr, Executive Director of World Vision Romania.