Moldovan government approves amendments to Education Code

The cabinet of ministers today approved the draft law amending the Education Code. The changes aim to ensure Romanian language learning programmes for children in the Diaspora, the inclusion of children with severe disabilities, the reintroduction of grades for 4th-grade pupils, the consolidation of the schools’ network and support measures for young specialists.

Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun said that the proposed amendments addressed pressing problems in the system and respond to requests gathered from discussions with parents and employees in the sector.

Linguistic integration programmes for children returning from the Diaspora

The first amendment concerns the possibility of financing linguistic integration programmes from the state budget, especially for children returning from the Diaspora.

“On the one hand, we are glad that more and more families are returning to the country, but at the same time, our system is not sufficiently adapted to support children upon their return and to provide them with the necessary assistance to adapt more easily,” said Dan Perciun.

Support in general education institutions for children with disabilities

The amendments address another challenge, namely the integration into the educational process of children with disabilities, especially severe disabilities, by creating support groups in general education institutions.

“With these amendments, it will be possible to set up support groups in our schools, working with up to six children with severe mental disabilities, with two adults, in order to fully meet the children’s needs, so they can receive targeted support and remain part of the educational community,” the minister noted.

Special education students will be able to continue their studies up to the 12th grade

Another amendment to the Education Code provides for the creation of support classes for children in auxiliary schools. This provision ensures that pupils will be able to continue their studies for three more years after completing the 9th grade in special education. On a pilot basis, the Education and Research Ministry (MEC) has already offered this opportunity in 2025 to graduates of special schools in Chisinau, and this is now to be enshrined in the Code.

“We are expanding the possibility for children studying in auxiliary schools to continue their education up to the 12th grade. Currently, after the 9th grade, families are forced to end this educational path. With the decision approved today, we give pupils the opportunity to remain in institutions up to the 12th grade,” the minister noted.

4th-grade students will receive grades

The fourth amendment concerns creating the legal framework for reintroducing, starting 1 September 2026, grades in the 4th grade in exam subjects – Romanian language and mathematics. Over the past ten years, primary school teachers have used a descriptor-based system (“excellent,” “very good,” etc.).

“This is a long-awaited request from within the system, widely discussed and supported. Today we only have descriptors in primary classes, and we are seeking a reasonable balance: on the one hand, to keep the school environment in primary grades as child-friendly as possible, but at the same time help children, so that the transition to the 5th grade is not too abrupt and the shock not too great. Thus, we decided that grades will be reintroduced in the exam subjects in the 4th grade, and we are creating the legal framework to make this change possible,” the education minister emphasized.

Good news for young specialists

The proposed amendments to the Education Code will allow the allocation of a 200,000 lei placement allowance to young teachers and researchers who choose to work in technical vocational education, higher education and research. Until now, only those employed in general education benefited from this measure.

Schools with more than 400 students will move to financial autonomy

The Education Code will additionally mandate that all schools with more than 400 students move to financial autonomy. This allows institutions to intervene immediately where needed: urgent repairs, basic equipment, necessary hiring. Headmasters will no longer depend on lengthy bureaucratic procedures, and pupils will benefit more quickly from better conditions.

“The headmaster will be able to conduct procurement procedures and manage the budget without depending on the district Directorate. This will increase the level of autonomy, the responsibility of headmasters and the ability to respond promptly where necessary,” stressed Dan Perciun.

Schools’ deputy headmasters will be appointed by contest 

The draft amendment to the Education Code introduces clear criteria for terminating open-ended contracts for deputy headmasters and makes public contests mandatory for these positions.

“We expressly establish the obligation to hold contests for deputy headmaster  positions in schools and to terminate the mandates of those who hold these positions for an indefinite period. We have multiple cases where deputy principals are appointed for life, with no possibility for others to access those positions through contest. The amendment will increase competition and refresh management in many educational institutions,” said the education minister.

According to statistics data, almost 39 per cent of deputy headmasters presently hold the position for an indefinite period, and another 27 per cent are in interim positions. At the same time, there are cases where the interim period exceeds 10–15 years.

Strengthening the schools’ network and support for students and teachers

The proposed amendments also target the consolidation of the schools’ network, with the main goal of improving the quality of education and harnessing the human potential of Moldova.

“We are also regulating two changes that have been widely discussed in the public sphere. The first concerns the consolidation of our schools’ network. The Code introduces minimum criteria regarding the number of children required for an institution to continue operating. Our goal is to ensure access to quality education for all children and to drive a process of consolidating our schools; network in such a way, so to overcome the huge disparities we currently have between children studying in smaller schools and those in larger schools. In larger schools, the results are always better; children there have the opportunity to benefit from extracurricular activities, a foreign language and access to modern laboratories, and we want this for all children. Therefore, through these changes, we will drive a process of network consolidation,” the education minister said.

Based on the proposed criteria, 73 schools are to be reorganized, of which 10 will be transformed into kindergartens, 43 into primary schools, and 17 into primary school–kindergarten institutions. The total number of schools targeted represents approximately 6 per cent of all public school institutions of Moldova. In total, 1,200–1,300 children will be affected by this measure, accounting for only 0.5 per cent of all pupils of the country.

The authorities will also introduce support measures for families and teachers. School transport will be free and parents of pupils transferred to other institutions will receive a monthly allowance of 1,000 lei for two years of study. Teachers affected by the reorganization will receive support through professional retraining, relocation and coverage of transport costs. Teachers who cannot find employment in the district will be able to receive a relocation allowance of up to 300,000 lei to take a job in another district. The eligibility criteria and procedure for providing  this allowance will be later regulated by the government.

The draft law is to be submitted to parliament for consideration and approval.