Moldovan top court rules on free of charge providing textbooks to 5th-9th forms' pupils

Chisinau, 16 February /MOLDPRES/ - The pupils of the 5th-9th forms must receive their school textbooks free of charge, under a today’s ruling by the Constitutional Court (CCM).

Presently, according to the Education Code, the pupils of the elementary school receive textbooks free of charge and those of the 5th-9th forms pay for their rent.

Under the CCM decision, the textbooks represent an indispensable element for the education process, which should be free of charge at the phase of the elementary and gymnasium education. “Any legal provision which would allow the establishment of compulsory payments for the pupils of this education cycle is contrary to the Constitution, which guarantees the gratuitousness of the universal compulsory education,” the Court’s ruling reads.   

Thus, the compulsory payment for textbooks by the pupils of the 5th-9th forms is unconstitutional. At the same time, CCM will issue an address to parliament, in order to remove the deficiencies found out in the Education Code. 

The decision is final, cannot be subjected to any appeal, enters into force on the date of adoption and is published in the Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial) of Moldova.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor M. Jantovan)