PHOTO // National teachers’ forum held in Moldovan capital: “Education is one of the strongest guarantees of our independence”

The fourth edition of the National Teachers’ Forum, titled, Thirty Years of Independence: History, Identity and National Dignity, took place in Chisinau today. The event brought together representatives of the educational community, personalities who participated in the process of proclaiming the Independence of the Republic of Moldova, teachers and students, historians, representatives of central public authorities and ambassadors accredited in Chisinau. It focused on the role of education in transmitting to new generations the values that underpin a free and democratic society.

Present at the event, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said that the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of Independence was an opportunity to reflect, to remember and to pay tribute to those who had had the courage to make historic decisions on August 27, 1991.

“They assumed that historic decision and voted for independence. I bow before them, for their courage, dignity and for the lesson of patriotism and manliness that they have given us,” the official said.

Igor Grosu noted that, while until now independence, democracy and freedoms were considered “a given,” recent events show that we must fight constantly for all these.

“And this is not something that should be done only by institutions, but by each of us every day. Teachers have an important role. (...) We must help each other, educate our children to think critically, to be well-informed, to know their language, history and traditions. We also need to know the things that are less pleasant, so as not to allow these mistakes to be repeated,” the speaker stressed.

The official noted that, at the Teachers’ Forum, two generations met – the independence generation and the European integration generation.

“These are very rare moments; perhaps we do not fully realize them now, but I believe it is a correct and natural continuity of what our parents, the MPs of the First Parliament, began and what we are obliged to continue in the process of European integration. European integration is not only a matter of welfare and of protecting human rights and freedoms, but also a matter of security. We are obliged to bring Moldova into the European Union, to place it under protection, because only there, only in the great European family, can we live in peace, prosperity and freedom,” Igor Grosu concluded.

Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun said that the event was organized at a particularly meaningful moment, just a few days before the Republic of Moldova marks 35 years since the proclamation of Independence.

“Independence did not begin in the parliament hall and not even on August 27, 1991. It was prepared over decades by people who refused to forget their language, to forget their history and their dignity. It was preserved in families, in schools, in universities, in libraries and newsrooms, in historical research, in literature, in poems and in song,” the minister said.

Dan Perciun pointed out that the Teachers’ Forum was a symbolic meeting between the generation that had had the courage to make, in 1991, one of the most important decisions in our history and the generations that bore the responsibility to understand, to preserve and to carry forward the meaning of that choice.

“Independence means our capacity to build strong institutions, to take care of the Romanian language, our culture and memory, to defend our democracy and to decide ourselves the direction in which the country is heading. All this presupposes citizens who understand the value of freedom and are prepared to assume responsibility for the future of the community they belong to. It is important for students to know the events that led to the proclamation of independence, but it is equally important for them to understand why those events mattered, what choices people made at that time and why freedom, democracy, dignity and a country’s right to decide its own future are values that must be understood, cultivated and protected,” the education minister said.

The minister emphasized that education is one of the strongest long-term guarantees of the country’s independence.

“Thirty-five years after Independence, the Republic of Moldova looks ahead with a clear direction and with the aspiration to build a peaceful, democratic, prosperous and respected country, part of the European family. (...) Another 35 years from now, a new generation will look at the choices we are making today. Our responsibility is to leave them a Republic of Moldova that is stronger, more united, more democratic, with better schools and with all citizens confident in the future of their own country. Freedom is our inheritance. Education is how we preserve it and pass it on,” the official underlined.

Alexandru Arseni, president of the public association, Parliament of Independence, highlighted the role of education in shaping and developing the human personality, as well as the values that underpin the building of a democratic society.

“The subject of our discussion is ensuring the free development of the human personality. Education is a continuous process, which begins in the family and continues in kindergarten, school, university and research. In this process, the teacher has an essential role, as at every lesson they have before them not only pupils or students, but distinct personalities, each with their own development potential. Education, learning, science and research must form the core of state policies and the state budget. Only in this way can we build a democratic society, based on respect for the human person,” Alexandru Arseni said.

The National Teachers’ Forum is at its fourth edition. During the event, the Decade of National Values was launched, an educational topic-related programme that will bring into schools activities dedicated to the history, identity and culture of the Republic of Moldova. The programme aims to foster respect for state symbols, to valorize the historical and cultural heritage and to stimulate students’ civic participation, in accordance with the provisions of the National Curriculum.