A school in a village in Ialomița county, in southeastern Romania, became famous and celebrated online after pictures of its renovation were shared more than 3,000 times.

The walls of Perieți Middle School are brightly colored, combining yellow and white, with spots of red and blue. They also feature motivational quotes like “together we are invincible!” or “be the change you want to see in the world.”  

The pictures of the school quickly gathered over 5,000 likes and more than 3,000 shares, with people congratulating the school for its creative renovation. “I would have liked to learn in such a brightly colored school,” said one person in a comment.

"I firmly believe that the place where we spend most of our day must be warm, cheerful, creative and thus contribute to our well-being," wrote Cristina Costea, a teacher at Perieți Middle School, quoted by Euronews.

Many Romanian schools, especially those located in the countryside, still struggle to offer students appropriate sanitary conditions. A 2020 UNICEF report noted that 1 in 4 schools in Romania lack basic handwashing facilities.

Last week, education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu argued that there are 306 schools with bathrooms that are not up to standard. “Four years ago, I said that there were 2,219 schools with unsanitary bathrooms, now there are 306. Of these 306, 126 have funds and must use them [for renovations].”

Cîmpeanu also said that the remaining schools are located in remote areas and cannot benefit from running water. Another statement by the minister, in which he implied that having students use outdoor toilets at school does not impede academic performance, sparked waves of criticism.  

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Școala Gimnazială Perieți Ialomița)