In recent years, Romania has seen an unprecedented wave of investments in school infrastructure. Buildings have been thermally insulated, bathrooms modernized, double-glazed windows installed, and classrooms equipped with projectors and smartboards. Each ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a political victory. But behind the freshly painted walls, the daily reality of teachers remains unchanged—if not more difficult.

Walls Matter—but they’re not enough

There’s no denying that school infrastructure needed attention. Decent sanitary conditions, well-lit classrooms, and up-to-date tools are essential for quality education. But when public discourse focuses only on what’s visible, we risk forgetting the real cornerstone of education: teachers.

A 2023 analysis from Oxford experts for the International Baccalaureate revealed that teachers report some of the highest levels of stress and burnout across professions. In Romania, local studies echo this: a research paper published in Revista Profesorului found a strong link between emotional exhaustion and low job satisfaction among Romanian educators. And yet, the number of young people entering the profession continues to shrink, while the average teacher age steadily increases.

Surface effects vs. deep change

Infrastructure investments are visible, measurable, and easy to showcase during election campaigns. But investing in people—through decent salaries, meaningful professional development, psychological support, and a reduction in administrative burden—is harder to quantify and lacks visual impact.

Yet it’s exactly those invisible factors that make the difference between a school that just looks modern and one that actually educates well. A motivated, supported, and rested teacher directly improves student outcomes. A school isn’t “smart” just because it has tablets—it’s smart because it has people who know how to use them well, in an environment of respect and trust.

It’s a question of priorities

At a recent education forum, someone asked: “What matters more—the smartboard or the teacher who uses it?” The right answer isn’t “either-or,” but rather: “both, but in this order—the person, then the technology.”

Romania doesn’t lack dedicated educators. What it lacks is recognition. If we continue to treat education as a PR product instead of a long-term human investment, we’ll be left with polished schools full of worn-out teachers. And the next generation will graduate from buildings that shine on the outside, but lack substance inside.

Education starts with people. Always.

Maybe it’s time we looked beyond the press photos from school openings—at the tired eyes of teachers, at the silence in staff rooms, at the growing question hovering over the newly renovated classrooms: Who’s taking care of those who care for our children?