This year's baccalaureate in Romania has revealed the lowest promotion level in the past decade - 67.4%, according to partial results announced by the Romanian Education Ministry and quoted by Mediafax. Minister Daniel Funeriu was taking on Sunday of a low promotion rate: up to 10 or 15% less than last year (when above 81% took the exam). From 2000 onwards, the national baccalaureate promotion rate in Romania did not go below 75%. High marks were a not a stranger to the results: 131 students achieved the maximum general grade (10), but none from Bucharest.

According to Education minister Daniel Funeriu, 131 maximum scores (10) were recorded at a national level; 14.74% of the student got between 9.00 and 10.00, 28.3% got between 8.00 and 9.00; 30.8% - between 7.00 and 8.00; 25.7% - between 6.00 and 7.00; 205 got between 5.00 and 6. 24,000 students did not show up at the baccalaureate and 235 were excluded from the exam.

In regards to which county scored better, Suceava and Caras-Severin hold the first position, with 87% promotion rate, followed by Arad. Bihor, Hunedoara, with over 85%. The worst results were recorded in Ialomita, Calarasi, Dambovita and Brasov, with a promotion rate of 45 and 55%.

Most maximum scores of 10 at the national Baccalaureate went to Cluj, Dolj and Iasi.

Minister Funeriu said some voices considered the results to be the result of zero tolerance towards fraud attempts. "It is a fist step towards normality in the educational system". "If the Promotion rate is lower than in 2009, this proves that we've got an ordinary, relevant baccalaureate. If we have a legal base to encourage performance, then we could have the instrument to regulate the situation in education units where the promotion rate was zero", the minister added, quoted by Agerpres.

The same baccalaureate system will be kept throughout 2011, with the oral exams being abolished.

The Romanian Baccalaureate promotion rate in the last decade, according to Bacalaureatul.ro

2009 – 81.47% on national level

2008 – 77.24% on national level

2007 – 82.08% on national level

2006 – 79.60% on national level

2005 – 84.76% on national level

2004 – 84.60% on national level

2003 – 76.82% on national level

2002 – 86.71% on national level

2001 – 86.28% on national level

2000 – 84.16% on national level

Only 58.92% of the students passed the Baccalaureate exam in Bucharest this year. The promotion general result must be 6. This is a 17.18% drop against last year. The highest score in Bucharest was 9.98, obtained by a student fro Gheorghe Lazar National College.

There were also high schools were all students failed. Un unprecedented situation occurred in Sfantu-Gheorghe, where all students from two high schools failed the national exam. None of the 66 students from Puskas Tivadar Scholar Group and none of the 96 students from Gaman Janos Scholar Group obtained a passing general mark, according to Covasnamedia.ro.

Funeriu insists the result is owned to the measures taken against fraud during the organisation and exam sitting taken this year.