Ion Maiorescu High School is an educational institution which since 1895 has the status of college.
The National Colledge „Ion Maiorescu” is a historical personality of the Giurgiu education and appeared as a necessity of education for young people in this area in the late nineteenth century, in 1869 respectively. Since then and until now tens of thousands of students, have perfected their studies here and most of them following the university courses, many of them becoming science and culture personalities of Romanian, others standing out in universities in the country and abroad.
The ,,Ion Maiorescu” Gymnasium was founded by the municipal council Resolution of 22 June 1868 as a gymnasium, based on the approval by the Ministry of Public Education and Religious Affairs.
On 14 of June was laid down the foundation stone of the place.
The building of the first local (Zalomit) was finished in October 29, 1869. The secondary school, has opened with 18 students, guided by two teachers: Ştefan Arhimandrescu and C. Fortunatu. Ştefan Arhimandrescu was teaching the scientific subjects and C. Fortunatu was teaching the literary one.
On 26 of January 1890 it was proposed in a School Conference that the Gymnasium should bear the name of Ion Maiorescu – the leading fighter in the Revolution of 1848, a progressive scholar and organizer of education in the Romanian national state formation period.
In 1895 started the new place construction on the current street of Bucharest, near the church of the Assumption finished in 1896, where courses of the new year school are held 1896/1897. In 1895, when fundamental release of the new construction took place, the city personalities such as Ministry of Public Instruction, Take Ionescu, teachers in the city, and others have participated in.
During the war in 1916-1918, the gymnasium did not operate.
The old desire of jewelers to have in the city of Giurgiu, a high school, ,,to create an atmosphere of high culture”, as appreciated by documents of that time, is asserted after the first World War and completed in the school year 1919 – 1920, by setting the Vth class.
The law establishing the High School ,,Ion Maiorescu” was adopted by a unanimous vote in the Assembly of Deputies on 11 May 1923 by the Senate on 21 May 1923. In the school year 1923 – 1924 the whole cycle of 8 classes was completed.
In 1928 were completed the works on the first level. Thus, in the school year 1928-1929 the high-school worked with 11 classes.
After the 1948 reform, shortening the school from 12 to 11 years, it was detrimental to education. The High-School Ion Maiorescu worked with 11 years of study during 1948-1953. With both, the elementary classes I-IV and V-VII and the average class VIII-XI.
In 1956 the average education would be extended to 12 years diversifying the last 2 classes in two sections, sciences and humanities.
Starting with 1964, when the primary school switched to 8-year education, the high-school has switched to 12 years of study, working with all classes, 12 in number, (in the school year 1968-1969). Between 1957-1959 it was built the new wing of the high-school, and between 1975-1976 the gym hall.
Throughout its existence it has operated under several names and in 1996 received the title of National College “Ion Maiorescu”.
