Adult Education, Priority in Educational Policy of Spiru Haret

At the end of the nineteenth century, Romania ranks fifth in Europe in terms of the level of illiteracy. This paper aims to highlight the importance of education reform achieved by Spiru Haret, whose priority, as minister of religious affairs and public instruction, was increasing the level of culture and education of the population, as the only solution to overcome the economic difficulties of the country and to preserve the national identity of the Romanian people. The establishment of thousands of schools for adults contributed to the decrease of illiteracy in Romania, from 78% in 1899, to 61% in 1912.