World Vision Romania: Lack of school supplies fuels shame, exclusion among vulnerable pupils

Students across Romania return to classrooms on Monday, September 7, for the start of a new school year, but many children from vulnerable families risk arriving without the supplies they need. A World Vision Romania study found that 92% of surveyed rural parents and teachers believe pupils without a backpack and school supplies feel inferior, excluded, or different from their classmates.

The survey was conducted in August among 1,290 parents and teachers from rural areas and covered children aged between five and 18. The results are not nationally representative and reflect only the responses of beneficiaries of World Vision Romania’s programs.

Some 44% of respondents said children without adequate supplies were likely to feel inferior to their classmates, 26% said they would feel excluded, and 22% said they would feel different. Only 5% believed such children could feel equal to their peers.

Shame was identified as the most likely emotional reaction by 44% of respondents, while 37% pointed to sadness. Another 43% said the lack of school supplies primarily affects a child’s self-confidence.

Overall, 75% of parents and teachers said the emotional and behavioral effects associated with lacking supplies could significantly affect a child’s educational progress. Some 31% expected poorer school results, 27% anticipated isolation, and 18% pointed to reduced participation. Absenteeism and school dropout were each cited by 12% of respondents.

"A backpack with school supplies may seem like a simple thing to most adults, but it means enormously to a child. It means being able to enter the classroom without feeling inferior, excluded, or different,” said Mihaela Nabăr, executive director of the World Vision Romania Foundation.

“When we talk about education, we must also talk about belonging, confidence, safety, and dignity.”

The findings continue a trend identified by the organization in 2025, when only 42% of pupils had all the necessary supplies at the beginning of the school year, while 12% had almost nothing prepared.

Nicușor Beraru, a primary school teacher in Vaslui county, said supplies do not solve all the difficulties faced by vulnerable families but allow children to sit at their desks without shame and focus on their lessons.

“At the beginning of the school year, children are happy to see all their classmates and their teacher again, and about these supplies, which they show each other: ‘Look what I have! Look at this cool pencil!’” he said.

The survey also showed that receiving the necessary supplies can have a visible emotional impact. Some 54% of respondents said a fully equipped backpack primarily brings children joy, 59% said it helps them feel equal to their classmates, and 47% observed that children attend school with greater confidence after receiving backpacks and supplies.

In this context, World Vision Romania has launched the “Give them confidence from the first day of school!” campaign to collect donations for backpacks and supplies for vulnerable children enrolled in its programs. Donations can be made through the organization’s website.

Separately, the Ministry of European Investments and Projects said last Friday, September 4, that 701,968 eligible children received educational cards worth RON 500 each during the 2025-2026 school year. The total support granted amounted to RON 350.984 million.

The aid, intended for preschoolers and pupils from disadvantaged families, will continue in the 2026-2027 school year. Parents or legal representatives must submit or resubmit an application through the child’s educational institution within 25 calendar days of the start of classes so that eligibility can be verified.

The annual RON 500 benefit is provided as an electronic social voucher and financed through the 2021-2027 Education and Social Dignity Program. Unused amounts allocated for the previous school year were automatically withdrawn beginning September 1, 2026.

The 2026-2027 school calendar in Romania includes 36 weeks of classes divided into five modules and five holiday periods. The first module runs until October 23, with no classes scheduled for October 5, International Teachers’ Day, while the autumn holiday will take place between October 24 and November 1.