Participation of Romanian youth in the modernization of rural patterns should be viewed in terms of the Romanian village and its economic, socio-cultural, and demographic characteristics. While agricultural technology has improved the quality of life in the Romanian village, the schooling network has been structured according to urban models and the professional aspirations of village youth have been geared to urban pursuits thereby depriving the villages of their human potential. The program for modernizing rural patterns assumes youth settlement in the villages, as this would provide for demographic balance and the initiative of a young labor force in both agricultural and non-agricultural rural jobs. Transformation of agricultural work into a variant of industrial work and the normalization of rural-urban values constitute the fundamentals of the modernized rural patterns necessary to avert rural to urban migration among the young. Employing favorable propaganda, rural modernization should encompass: gradual implementation of industry; agrarian-industrial high schools which incorporate area-specific curricula; encouragement of both farm and worker activities; development of the village as a social community capable of embracing industrialization and preserving traditional values; and application of economic benefits toward better rural housing, cultural institutions, and social services. (JC)