MANAGERIAL STRATEGIES TO ENSURE ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN THE PANDEMIC CONTEXT

The article presents the conclusions of a research carried out in 2021, in Iaşi County, in order to identify the managerial steps used by disadvantaged school principals in order to ensure access to education for all children. The data collection strategy aimed at a mixed design (quantitative and qualitative) and took place in six disadvantaged schools in Iaşi County, three in urban areas and three in rural areas. Approximately 5,000 children study in these schools, from preschool to high school. 18 databases were analyzed on students’ school results, the remedial programs implemented and the digital technological resources used by schools to ensure equal access to education. The quantitative data were correlated with the qualitative data obtained from the six interviews conducted with school principals. The research findings illustrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated problems with access to education. Thus, a quarter of students studying in the six schools included in the research (1167 children out of a total of 4714) studied in the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year only through educational packages and did not benefit from online courses, interaction with colleagues and teachers for an entire semester. Educational projects have been initiated to reduce the negative effects, but the problem remains with lasting consequences.