Corruption in education: MEC pushes legal MPay donations
Corruption cases in educational institutions are a serious concern, and every situation must be scrutinized with utmost attention and responsibility to better understand how to curb these phenomena. Officials from the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) stated on the public broadcaster Moldova 1 that the most egregious cases are those involving children.
"It is important to be vigilant and to encourage reporting," said Rodica Braguța, Head of the Legal Directorate at the Ministry of Education, on the show "Bună Dimineața." "We must closely monitor the activity of investigative bodies, provide support, and make decisions within the limits of our competence."
The only legal school funding method for institutions is through voluntary donations via the MPay governmental electronic payment system.
Any direct collections, or fundraising on social media groups initiated by teachers or parent committees that involve presenting lists of student donors, constitute illegal school fundraising. Parents are strongly encouraged not to participate in such activities and, crucially, not to allow the involvement of children.
"This system of corruption definitely extends from the educational institution up to the Sectoral Directorate and, perhaps, to the district or regional directorates," emphasized Lilia Zaharia, President of the Ethics Council at the MEC.
The official reconfirmed the Ministry's firm commitment to promoting integrity in the educational system.
Zaharia further stressed: "When we talk about integrity—we are talking both about these acts of corruption, but also about the conduct of the educator within the education system. And we are not just referring to classroom activities."
If money is collected at the request of teachers, parents are advised to report the cases to the institution's managers. If the matter is not resolved at that level, they should alert the education directorates.
"If no action was taken in favor of the petitioner, then they should address the Ethics Council within the Ministry of Education and Research," Lilia Zaharia added.
According to MEC data, 403 schools and kindergartens nationwide are currently connected to the legal school donations MPay system. This mechanism offers parents, alumni, the diaspora, economic agents, and all interested parties a secure and transparent school funding method to directly support educational institutions.
Between June 2024 and October 2025, over a hundred educational institutions benefited from donations via MPay, with a total value exceeding 960 thousand lei. All educational institutions receiving donations are required to publish reports on the use of the funds, ensuring complete school funding transparency.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
