Moldova’s education reform: Tackling teacher shortages and funding gaps
The shortage of teaching staff and the need for additional funding for educational institutions were among the primary challenges faced by the education system in the Republic of Moldova throughout 2024.
Attracting young professionals and retaining teachers in the system remain key priorities, stated the Minister of Education, Dan Perciun, in an interview with Teleradio-Moldova.
"We have tried to address each of these issues, as our activities were structured around human resources: we aim to attract more people to the teaching profession in order to support the current teachers, mobilize resources for infrastructure, renovation, and equipment of educational institutions, and overall improve the quality of education," said Dan Perciun.
The authorities will allocate additional resources next year to raise the salaries of university professors.
"We recognize that there is a backlog in this area, and the next effort will need to be directed primarily toward the university sector," added Perciun.
The network of model schools will be expanded by up to 90 educational institutions in the coming years, the Minister also mentioned, noting that negotiations are ongoing to secure an additional 30 million euros for the modernization of these institutions.
"We are implementing these incentivizing measures because our goal is for every child to receive a quality education in order to fulfill their potential. Even though this will cost us more, we are willing to make this investment, regardless of where each child was born, whether in Chișinău or in a small rural village," explained the Minister.
Regarding infrastructure, Dan Perciun noted that significant progress is being made in the modernization of sanitary facilities. "We began this process in 2024 in over 140 schools. With state budget funds, we renovated approximately 20 sanitary facilities, and with support from UNICEF and the World Bank, we continue the repair work in other institutions. We hope to complete this process in the first half of 2025."
What else can be learned from the interview given by Minister of Education Dan Perciun?
- The reorganization of educational institutions is the responsibility of local councils: Will more schools be closed in 2025?
- What other investments are planned for the modernization of school infrastructure?
- Higher education, subject to reforms and reorganizations: Why do Moldovan universities rarely rank among the best in the world?
- Over 600 million lei will be invested in universities by 2029. How many student dormitories will be renovated?
- Research is a field requiring significant investments. What funding has been allocated for this purpose for the upcoming year?
- The Ministry is giving special attention to increasing the capacity of kindergartens.
Note: The interview was filmed on December 19, 2024.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
