Education Minister responds to parties discontent with education reform: Ministry focusing on quality

The approach of the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) regarding the reform for strengthening the school network is focusing on quality, not cost reduction, and the resources released will be fully reinvested in education. The MEC's objective is to provide the best learning conditions for every child, regardless of locality, states Minister Dan Perciun, in the context of criticisms and discontent expressed by opposition parties regarding the optimization of some educational institutions.

The Minister explained that the amendments to the Education Code stipulate maintaining an educational institution in each locality.


'The Ministry's approach is focusing on quality, not cost reduction, and the resources released will be fully reinvested in education. The changes aim to maintain primary schools and primary-kindergarten schools in all localities, up to a reasonable limit. The Ministry guarantees mandatory school transport, financial support for transported students, and dedicated measures for teaching staff, so their potential can be fully used,' stated Dan Perciun.


In this process, the authorities assure that they will be alongside children, parents, and teachers. The Ministry will ensure mandatory school transport, financial support for transported students, and dedicated measures for teaching staff, so their potential can be fully used, announced Dan Perciun.


'We understand that any change can generate concern. That’s why each decision is accompanied by clear support measures for students, parents, and teachers. In 76% of cases, children will have to travel less than 10 km to the new school; transportation will be free, and families will receive a monthly allowance of 1,000 lei for two years. Teaching staff will benefit from the support of the education departments to identify employment opportunities in the district and transportation cost compensation. If necessary, teachers can also access a relocation allowance of up to 300,000 lei for employment in another district. The Ministry is alongside each family and each teacher throughout this process. The MEC's objective is clear: ensuring the best learning conditions for every child, regardless of locality,' argued Dan Perciun.


According to the minister, strengthening the school network is 'an extremely difficult and painful but inevitable process' if the quality in education is to be maintained considering the demographic decline and accelerated urbanization.


'In the eight years of communist governance, the number of students in the Republic of Moldova decreased by 204,000—from 620,000 to 415,000, meaning over 33%. In the same interval, 61 schools were closed. Those who drove hundreds of thousands of people out of the country are now trying to capitalize politically on the subject of strengthening the school network—an extremely difficult and painful process, but inevitable if we want to maintain the quality of education in a context of demographic decline and accelerated urbanization,' he emphasized.


The minister stated that the stakes of the opposition parties are 'strictly political, with no concern for the future of children.' The minister’s reaction comes after the Socialist Party announced a protest action for today in connection with the MEC's reforms.


'The Socialists and Communists are profoundly indifferent to the fate of children learning in very small institutions, without modern laboratories, without extracurricular activities, without specialized teachers in all subjects. None of them would send their own child to learn in a school that does not provide the necessary conditions. Their stake is strictly political, with no concern for the potential of these children or their future,' said the official.


According to the MEC's proposed project, gymnasium institutions with fewer than 35 students in grades 5–9 will be reorganized into primary schools, and primary schools with fewer than 30 students will be reorganized into primary-kindergarten schools. Only institutions with fewer than 10 students will be reorganized into kindergartens.

According to statistics, over the past four years, authorities have invested over 2 billion lei in modernizing school infrastructure and equipping educational institutions across the country.


'We have chosen to allocate over 800 million lei annually for free child nutrition—an investment equivalent to the annual budget of approximately 300 schools with 100 students each. We have launched the most ambitious educational infrastructure modernization program, "Model Schools Network," an unprecedented project with investments of over 200 million euros to be achieved by 2028–2029,' stated Dan Perciun.


Last week, the Ministry of Education and Research proposed for public consultation the draft Law on amending the Education Code of the Republic of Moldova, which includes the consolidation of the school network, measures for better integration of children returning from abroad, inclusion of children with severe intellectual disabilities, support for young specialists engaged in research and university education, and aligning the educational system with European standards.