Romanian GCSE UK: Why Thousands of Romanian Children Deserve Recognition for Their Language

The Romanian community has become one of the largest communities in the United Kingdom. According to the Office for National Statistics (Census 2021), more than 539,000 people born in Romania now live in England and Wales — making Romania the fourth most common non-UK country of birth. Romanian families have built businesses, joined public services, worked in schools, hospitals and universities, and contributed enormously to British society.

Their children are growing up in British schools. They play football in local teams. They study for GCSEs. They dream about university. They speak English fluently.

Yet many of these young people also speak Romanian at home. They speak to parents, grandparents, cousins and relatives across Europe. They belong to two cultures.

That is not a weakness. That is a strength. Unfortunately, society does not always recognise it as one.

One of the biggest myths about bilingual children is that speaking two languages creates confusion.

As a teacher, I can tell you that the opposite is often true. Many bilingual students develop excellent communication skills. They learn how to switch between languages, understand different cultural contexts and adapt to different situations. The Bell Foundation, a UK charity specialising in language education, notes that once children are secure in English, bilingualism becomes a genuine asset — with evidence linking it to higher achievement, greater creativity and even a delay in brain ageing.

More importantly, bilingual children gain something that cannot easily be measured. They gain connection.

A child who speaks Romanian can talk to grandparents in Romania. They can understand family stories. They can access books, films and traditions that would otherwise be lost to them. They can understand where they come from. That matters.

This is something many Romanian parents worry about.

A child starts school speaking Romanian confidently. A few years later, they begin replying only in English. Their vocabulary becomes smaller. Reading Romanian becomes difficult. Writing Romanian becomes even harder. Eventually, conversations with grandparents become shorter and more limited.

Nobody plans for this to happen. It simply happens when a language is not actively developed. Language works like a muscle. If we stop using it, it becomes weaker.

For many families, preserving Romanian is not about nostalgia. It is about maintaining family relationships and cultural identity.

When people hear the term “Romanian GCSE”, they sometimes assume this is only about an examination.

It is not. A qualification represents recognition. When a language has a recognised pathway, it sends a message. It tells young people that their language matters. It tells families that their heritage is valued. It acknowledges years of effort and learning.

At the time of writing, there is no officially recognised GCSE in Romanian available through the mainstream exam boards in England. A student in England can sit a GCSE in nineteen languages — from Polish and Portuguese to Gujarati and Greek. Romanian is not one of them. A Romanian child can sit a GCSE in Spanish, French or German — but not in the language they speak with their grandparents.

This is not only a Romanian issue. It is a question of fairness.

This is beginning to change — and I am proud to support it.

Earlier this year, I joined a growing campaign for the recognition of Romanian. Supporters took this message to Parliament — not as politicians, but as teachers, parents and members of the community. The campaign is run independently, and it is gathering momentum.

Schools are adding their voices and signalling demand to exam boards. Parents across the UK are registering their interest and telling us their children would sit a Romanian GCSE if it existed. Community organisations are helping raise awareness and build the case for recognition nationally.

This is the beginning, not the end. If you agree that Romanian belongs on the GCSE curriculum, you can add your voice.

While the campaign works towards official recognition, families do not have to wait to keep their children’s Romanian strong.

At Ciui Training, I have built a Romanian GCSE Preparation Course — Foundation and Higher — with native-quality audio, designed to help heritage learners read, write, speak and grow in confidence in their language. It is the resource I wish my own students had always had. We are currently inviting founding families to join a free pilot.

Because recognition starts at home — and every child deserves to carry their whole identity through the school gate.