A delegation of ten leaders from Adventist Education Romania was in Brazil to get to know some schools in the network. They arrived on Monday, May 22, 2023. They were in Santa Catarina on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, they visited some schools in Curitiba and the surrounding region.
"We have a small education system in Romania, and we want to learn more to implement a good Adventist education there,” says Pastor Eugen Chirilianu, Education director for the Romanian Union Conference. “There are many new things for us. We were impressed with the physical structure, and the teachers are very kind and friendly."
The visit was recommended by the leadership of the Education department of the General Conference, the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pastor Chirilianu had already met some units in São Paulo four years ago, so this time, they recommended going to the southern region. The group of Romanians is made up of Education department directors from six regions, two chaplains, and an executive secretary from a regional administrative headquarters.
Romanians got to know the facilities and visit the classrooms. (Photo: Disclosure)
Growth in the Country
Romania has 56 school units, with attendance ranging from kindergarten to university, which has 200 academics and offers courses in social work, pedagogy, and theology. In all, there are about 5,000 students enrolled. For comparison, the number of students in the Eastern European country is smaller than that in the Adventist schools and colleges in the metropolitan region of Curitiba.
"The challenge is to grow and develop many schools and many people, not only in quantity, but in quality. We want to have a quality Adventist education," emphasizes Pastor Chirilianu.
After Curitiba, the trip will continue to São Paulo, where the nine-day tour will come to an end.
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[Credit - SAD]
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.