A school with tradition
The school in Reteag is one of the oldest in the Someș Valley. The information below comes from the school’s Institutional Development Plan for 2024–2028.
- The first school in Reteag is mentioned in 1566. It operated alongside the Reformed church and was maintained by the villagers. At first, the teacher was the Reformed pastor himself.
- From the 18th century, the school had teachers trained for the profession. Around 1838 there were two teachers.
- Teaching was first in Latin, then in Hungarian.
- From around 1645 a private school teaching in Hebrew also operated.
- From 1850 a Romanian school operated alongside the Romanian church.
- From 1875 the Hungarian school became a state school. A small kindergarten also opened at that time; its rules were approved in 1893.
- After the First World War, the Romanian school became a state school, and education developed according to Romania’s national system.
The school’s name: Ion Pop Reteganul
The school is named after Ion Pop Reteganul (1853–1905), who was born in Reteag. He was a teacher in several villages in Transylvania and one of the best-known collectors of folklore in the region. He gathered and published folk tales, songs and customs, including the collection „Povești ardelenești” (Transylvanian Tales). He also wrote for children.
Through its name, the school embraces two things he valued: the teaching profession and care for local culture.
The school today
Today, “Ion Pop Reteganul” Lower Secondary School Reteag is a state school with day classes at pre-school, primary and lower secondary levels. The language of instruction is Romanian.
The school has several units, in Reteag, Poieni and Bața. You can find them described on the Units page.
Good to know: The school will add information from its archive to this history (for example, when the school was given the name „Ion Pop Reteganul” and the main milestones of recent decades). If you have old documents or photographs about the school, please get in touch with the school office.