Chișinău kindergarten crisis as educators leave for better pay
Chișinău’s kindergartens are facing a severe staffing shortage, with 164 of more than 2,700 educator positions currently vacant.
Directors say it is increasingly difficult to fill the openings, primarily due to unattractive salaries. A new educator earns an average of 8,500 lei.
Nine educator positions are vacant at Kindergarten No. 175, or 'The Donut,' in the capital’s Center district. Miroslava Vrabie and her colleagues are having to work extra hours to cover the shortfall.
"We work ten-hour days and have to manage a single teacher per group. That means working from Monday to Friday, and covering the entire daily schedule from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM. If we had those colleagues with us, we could have some flexibility ourselves," says educator Miroslava Vrabie.
The director of the institution said the starting salary for a new educator is 8,500 lei.
"Just last year, we had three young specialists who were assigned to us by the Ministry of Education, but unfortunately, they left within a month. Better-paying jobs are available elsewhere, and many qualified educators are emigrating in search of higher salaries and a better life," said Adela Podșivalova, director of Kindergarten No. 175.
Elena Reniţă works as an assistant educator at the kindergarten her son attends. The director notes that in such cases, employees usually resign shortly after.
"We serve meals to the children, care for them and take them to the playground. The kids are all different; it's hard, but it's also beautiful. If the salary were higher, it would be more motivating," says Elena Reniță.
"It's pretty hard to motivate them because the salary is very low. It's a 10-hour-a-day job, Monday through Friday. There's also a high volume of work and many requirements for the position. When you have over 20 children in a group, it is very difficult," says Olga Ionel, director of Kindergarten No. 157.
Chișinău City Hall’s Education Department offers rent subsidies for young people who take jobs in kindergartens, providing them with 2,000 lei per month.
"We can only help by holding more professional development activities. From the city hall, we help new teachers by paying their rent for space during their first two years of employment. We're trying to find other ways to motivate and keep them in the system," explains Daniela Munca-Aftenev, Deputy Head, DGETS.
According to national statistics, Chișinău is facing the country's most significant educator crisis.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
