The Bessarabians had been increasingly limited in their school operations under the Russian officials and they hoped for changes under the Rumanian administration. This did not happen in regards to curriculum as well as school administration.

In the beginning, there were concessions made. A royal decree made the Bessarabian teachers state employees. The situation seemed to take a turn for the better when a decree dated August 14, 1918, assured the schools that the instruction could be done in the native language. This decree was on the books and in force until the school laws of 1924 were enacted. The Germans soon realized that reality was different.

In February of 1919 the Rumanian government stipulated that the German-Bessarabian church schools were to be transferred to the Rumanian state. From then on, the school of Krasna was also a Rumanian state school. The Rumanian government based their decision on an agreement between the Semstwo (district) and the German communities from 1917, to pay the costs for 77 teachers. (See above) The Rumanian government considered this agreement as proof that the German church schools already had the status of state schools in Russian times. Converting the schools to state schools meant a financial relief for the communities. They soon noted, however, that this opened the doors to Rumanian-ize the German elementary schools and they began to resist.

Rumania furthered the Rumanian conversion of the schools since the beginning of the 1920's. The Germans could obtain a short cessation of the pressure, but could not stop the encroachment of state conversion. From 1924 on, there is an obvious animosity in Rumanian school politics toward minorities (Law of State Elementary School Education, dated July 24, 1924). The nominal “German” schools had not much leeway in teaching in the German language. This was due to the mandatory Rumanian hours imposed by the law, which required beginning in the second grade of elementary school.

A gradual elimination process began. In 1920 there were practically only German teachers. Gradually, the Rumanian government hired more Rumanian teachers. At the same time, the German teachers were hassled with language competency exams, transfers, etc., and gradually squeezed out. From 1934 on, no more Werner school graduates were hired. The number of German teachers shrank drastically, even in Krasna.

The final Rumanization of education in the German schools started at the beginning of the 1930's. The Akkerman school district forbade German instruction in the Bessarabian schools within the district on March 9, 1933. From then on, beginning in first grade, all education had to be done in Rumanian. German teachers were only free to teach German as an extracurricular activity after school. Religion taught in German was limited to one hour and scheduled for the weekend.

The majority of the Bessarbian children in the 1930s were educated by non-German teachers in a foreign language. Rumanian teachers enforced Rumanian with corporal punishment. It was not a surpise that many of the Krasna children had poor command of German. Other subjects were also a problem. How were they supposed to learn? The teacher spoke no German and the students no Rumanian.

Individual German teachers made an idealistic effort, sometimes outside of the regular school hours and at least some rudimentary German could be taught. The teachers invited hassles and even loss of position by doing this.
(See also 2.4, Belonging to Rumania and the Soviet Union 1918-1940)

The situation in Krasna in contemporary description:

• Staats Anzeiger newspaper, dated February 3, 1931
  We now have a separate girls’ school with the three elementary school classes. Among the teachers of these classes is only one who understands a few words of German, the others not at all. Aside from religious instruction, nothing else is taught in German. This is not meant to be an insult to these very capable teachers, but since the children do not understand Rumanian and the teachers no German, one can imagine what an ordeal this is on both sides. It is also shameful that the children are deprived of their native language.
  We do not object to the fact that the language of the land is taught, because we can see the benefits of this. The situation is a big problem. The laws of the land dictate that the beginning years of school be taught in the native language. There are some unwritten laws between the written laws which seem to be more important than the laws on the books. We have already instructed our chamber representative to make a report of this to the respective ministry office and petitioned the end of this abuse. We have yet to receive an answer and it looks like all will remain as is, at least to the next school year.
• Max Riehl remembers that teacher Alois Volk taught German in overtime of the school hours, until he was forbidden to do so. There are reports that German teachers were heavily fined for conducting the educational instructions in German. ¹⁾
• In 1939 Eduard Ruscheinsky wrote: ²⁾ I am concerned about the future of our children, since they will soon no longer be able to read or write their native language.

In all fairness, it has to be mentioned that the Rumanians did create additional teaching positions, which reduced the class sizes drastically and raised the educational standard. Mandatory school attendance was in force and school took place the entire year (although at the local level, at least in Krasna, it was generously “overlooked” that children were not attending during the corn harvest). The problem of school attendance was finally solved, when Rumania collected fines for missing school rigorously. School classes were attended well then, including in Krasna. It was mandatory for children to attend school from age 7 through age 14.

From 1920 on the Organisations of Bessarabia fought on all fronts to get back the schools. Finally, the Rumanian government relented in the fall of 1938, because it did not want any trouble with the German Reich. A decree dated February 24, 1939, secured the German confessional school. A royal decree dated September 19, 1939, transferred the confiscated school properties back to the German communities. This compromise was not allowed to come to fruition since the Germans were resettled soon afterwards.

Reporting about the schools in Bessarabia one has to mention the well-applied school punishment. Corporal and other measures of punishment were used in other areas, as well, but they were harshly deployed in Bessarabia. Slaps in the face, yanking of hair and ears, as well as good threshings were used regularly. There was also standing in the corner, remaining after school, etc. One mean form of punishment was kneeling for prolonged periods, with hands raised or kneling on kernels of corn.