The Romanian community of Orlivka, Ismail district, has spoken out against the closure of the local Romanian-language high schoo during consultations with the Ukrainian authorities on November 10, the Consulate General of Romania in Odessa has announced.

The high school in question would be reorganised as a gymnasium.

According to the consulate, the discussions took place 'at an important moment for the future of education in Romanian in the Odessa region.'

'The public consultations held today in Orlivka, in the Ismail district, ended with a unanimous vote against the transformation of the local high school into a gymnasium. We participated in the debates between the representatives of the local authorities in Reni and the parents of the students, at an important moment for the future of education in Romanian in the Odessa region. Discussions were intense, and the parents strongly and solidly supported their concerns regarding the safety of the transport of children to other high schools, the continuity of studies and the consequences of the school reorganisation. Deficiencies were also reported in the organisation of consultations, especially insufficient communication with parents and involvement of students in preparing the meeting, instead of a direct dialogue with their families,' the Consulate in Odessa said.

Romania's Consul General in Odessa Claudiu Tataru says that at the discussions with the Ukrainian side, he presented Romania's official position, in which Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests the inclusion of all existing establishments with high school classes taught in Romanian or with Romanian tuition in the future network of academic high schools of Ukraine.

'The message was received with long applause by the parents and teachers in attendance. We reaffirmed Romania's interest in respecting the educational options of parents and preserving schools that ensure the continuity of education in Romanian. We appreciated the willingness of the representatives of the authorities in Reni to listen to the concerns of the community and to answer the questions asked. Despite the differences of opinion, the consultations provided the framework for an open dialogue, necessary for a decision that concerns the future of children,' Tataru said. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Cristian Lupascu; EN - writing by' Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)